On The Edge of Time
by Cosmo-G1rl
Summary: A time traveler goes into the future to escape only to have her crystal that powers her time machine stolen. Now she must team up with a band of misfits in order to prevent all of time being unraveled.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Organ Player

The words echoed through her head. "Please…help me." The woman in gold continued walking down the stairs. A scene of horrific display. Display of gore and dust. The building was in ruins. Blood splattered across the walls. She had lost many soldiers here. Many brave men and woman have given their lives to end the tyranny. But what she didn't expect to lose was her friend.

"Please Allea. I don't want this. I never wanted this. End it."

What could she do in that moment? Could she just say no, sorry I'm not going to kill you? To do that would mean all of these deaths that lay before her would have been in vain. She didn't want this. She wanted to come out on top. To triumph over the forces of evil and let the light shine. To cast out the darkness that has plagued this earth. But in the end, there was no feeling of triumph. No feeling of good in sight. Though the sun had shined through the clouds for the first time in years, she could not see the light. Her friend was dead. A friend who sacrificed herself to save her. And in the end, paid the ultimate price for it.

It started out different. The sound of a pipe organ echoed through the halls as the soldiers approached. Led by the woman in gold they charged into battle. The soldiers of shadow and of darkness put up a fight. Blood was spilled. Throats were cut. Faces were sliced off. The sound of metal echoed through the halls. Swords shattered, shield splintered. Wave after wave, room after room, the sound of the organ grew louder. It was playing a gentle tune. A haunting tune. One that vibrated through the soldiers as they continued to fight. . Fitting for the scene that was being unraveled as they continued to press on into the building. One by one they fell. The corpuses piled onto one another. Until it was the soldier in gold who stood before the gates into the master chamber, where the music was coming from. Struggling under the weight of her armor she pressed on. Dragging the sword in her hand. Blood trickling down her arm. She prepared herself for the fight of her life. She could feel the music vibrate on the door handles. Gripping her sword in her hand she cast the door open, ready for the final fight. But what she saw made her drop her sword.

It had to be an illusion. It was impossible. The music. She knew heard that tune before. Years ago in a time before the darkness she heard that same tune. The gentle tune. The haunting tune. She staggered forward, only slightly. Still bewildered at the scene. The room was lit. A massive organ was in the back, covering up the whole wall. On a seat of red cloth sat the organ player. Hair as black as the night stretched down from her head to the floor.

"No." She said as her sword fell to the ground with a clank. The music stopped. The organ player turned around and got up in a swift motion. Skin as white as snow and eyes as red as a rose glared at the solider in gold.

With her head hanging low in shame she replied, "I'm afraid so." Said the organ player following a deep sigh.

"But, on that night years ago. You died. Your body was taken and destroyed." Said the solider in gold with distress in her voice. She forgot the sword she had dropped as she moved forward towards the organ player.

"Destroyed and put back together as this." Replied the organ player as she motioned to herself. "And I landed back here. But it was not the same. It can never be the same." The organ player than turned around to grab a dagger from the organ.

"Why, why are you doing this?" The distress in her panic turned into sheer panic and the solider in gold moved closer to the organ player. Her eyes began to water.

"It was not my choice. As the first one out, I was crowned queen. Queen of this nightmare. And this is the key to waking up." The organ player held out the dagger. "But you can end it then. You can bring an end to the eternal darkness. The end of the walking dead. And bring back the light onto this land-" The soldier in gold's words were cut short as the dagger landed next to her feet.

"You don't think I've tried that!?" cried out the organ player. Tension was building in her voice. " I am bound to this position! This curse! If I could end it I would have! I would have done it years ago! And I would have been dead and you would have lived. Just like we planned." The organ player was now engulfed in rage. With her claws she swiped at the table next to her, spilling her cup on the floor. A pool of blood now resides under the table. The cup toppled over and rolled across the stone floor.

"Take it. Take the dagger of Rah. Kill me with it." The organ player said as she pointed to the dagger at the soldier in gold's feet.

Taking only a second glance at the blade she immediately turned to the organ player and said, "What? No."

"Allea, please. I have already done so much. I don't want this. There is enough blood on my hands to damn me till the end of time. I don't need anymore." The organ player said as she approached the soldier in gold. Tears were forming in her red eyes.

"Please Allea. I don't want this. I never wanted this. End it. End it for me. End it for you. Make this nightmare end."

The organ player bend down to pick up the dagger. Tears were forming in her eyes as she tucked the blade in the soldier's hand. Embracing her in her arms she whispered to the soldier in gold, "Please. You know this has to be done. Set me free." Tears ran down her face and onto the soldier's armor.

"I'm sorry Ellipsis. I'm so sorry." Allea said as she closed her eyes and thrust the blade into Ellipsis's back.

Ellipsis's head jolted back. Her mouth was wide opened. She gave out a scream .The dagger started to emit a bright light. The light then travelled all over Ellipsis's body. Her skin started to give off the same glow. The lines on her flesh burned. The light had reached her eyes and the redness faded and turned bright white. The room around them started to shake. The organ prattled random tunes. The ceiling started to fall apart. From the sky came down a sun beam that encircled the two. Ellipsis motioned her head towards Allea and gave a small smirk.

"Hey, no need to cry. Nothing lasts forever…thank god." And with that Ellipsis burst with light. Her skin crumbled and began to disappear into the wind. The light from her eyes dimmed. Her bones broke up and turned into ash.

In the end all was left was an old ragged cloak. Allea gripped it in her fingers and wept. Hands trembled. It was over. The forces of good have prevailed over evil. And what was once a mighty kingdom that stretched across the plains now lays in ruins. Its army defeated and its queen now dead. The deed was done. But was it worth it? Had justice been served today?

As Allea walked out of the ruined building, gripping on the cloak, she cried. The foul smell of rotting flesh didn't bothered her as much as it used to. The last remains of the army she had fought laid defeated before her. A cold chill rushed her spine as she emerged into the light.

Was there no other way? Could she have done something different? She didn't know. All she knew was that her friend was gone and she was alone. If there was a way, she would see to it that her friend would come back. There had to be a way. Maybe he could help.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Time Traveler

Locked away for days and days she has been. Dark curtains pulled to block out the sun as she worked in secret. A young woman sat hunched over. With hair as gold as wheat and hands as fast as flies she worked. Gripping the pencil in her hand with her glasses being held back with string she worked. Drawing up plans, crafting parts, and putting everything together. Rushing over as fast as she could, tearing up boxes, grabbing parts and tools. Peering out of her window every now and then to make sure no one was coming near her shop. She had no choice in the matter of secrecy. If the general or his fellow thugs were to discover what she was doing, well she'd be as good as dead and she doubt the gods would do anything about it. So she worked in shadow for days and days. Fueled by fear and coffee she worked into the late hours and early dawn. The smell of grease and wood shavings filled the air. The weather grew hot in the summer where she was and working in such conditions increased the temperature in her workshop to well over a hundred degrees. Taking off her headband to wipe the sweat off her face helped but it wasn't much. The heat made the air in the room thick and muggy but she wasn't going to let that get her now. Not now while she was so close.

On the final day, she placed the last brass screw. Sweat was dripping from her head. Eve was there assisting her in any way she could. But what can a snake do with no arms and legs? That didn't matter. She had to escape, she knew her journey was over and it was time for her to return back home and make things right. The Machine itself was over 10 feet tall and made entirely of brass. Slits of white glass could be seen protruding out of the brass metal. From the side it appeared to be nothing more than a large brass ring with a chair in the center with some dials and levers. The machine was being supported by two legs, each jetting out of the front and back of the machine to give it support. She walked over to the machine, in her left hand was a crystal. In her right was an amulet. She placed the amulet in the center of the machine right in front of the chair while the crystal went inside the brass right beneath the chair. "Well Eve, this is it." Samantha said as she wiped the sweat from her brow. "Indeed mistress." Eve said as she stood upright. "Mistress! I sense movement from beyond the doors." Samantha jerked her body towards the door as the sound of pounding and slamming echoed through. She than looked down to Eve. "Let's go, perfect timing." "Affirmative mistress."

Samantha grabbed Eve, her bag, her tool belt and jumped into the machine. The doors across the room started to brake. "Samantha! You owe us an explanation as well as the crystal that you stole!" Eve turned towards Samantha who was fiddling with some dials. "You take after your mother more than you know."

"You kidding, my brother takes after my mother more than me." She said with a smirk as she pulled a lever revealing more brass rings emerging from the solid ring creating a sphere of brass rings. The doors had broken as several men burst in wielding rifles and pistols. They stopped dead in their tracks only to see the machine glow with a blue aura all around it. The machine started to rise off the ground as the men aimed their weapons at the machine. "Cease all activities right now, you are under arrest for treason!"

"No warnings" she said under her breath as she pulled another lever from above her retracting the two legs. "Fire!" The men started shooting at the machine and at Samantha. But when the bullets entered the area of the blue aura some dissolved and other floated in midair. Gun shoot ringed all across the room as bullets ripped through the dark curtains letting in the final moments of daylight. The rings began to spin all around the machine. The blue aura grew bigger and bigger. The material around the aura were dissolving and turning to ash.

Samantha than looked over to the men cowering in fear of the machine. "Tell Captain Ahab I said hi." With that said she pulled the lever in front of her. The machine spun around faster and faster, gaining more and more speed. And with the more speed the aura grew larger drawing in everything in the room. The men than ran out of the room screaming, dropping their weapons as they ran for the exit. The aura grew larger that it tore a hole in the warehouse that the machine was placed in and suddenly a white light burst from the center of the blue aura sphere. The sphere popped and dropped everything that it held. A gaping hole now was in place of where the warehouse once stood in the center of the town. Debris and trash covered the area as well as the streets and the citizens. All stared in awe at the site of what happened. The guards than approached the warehouse wreckage and for three days and three nights they searched and didn't find Samantha, Eve or the machine that scared them. She had finally escaped.

Darkness was all around Samantha and Eve.

"Mistress, where are we?" Eve asked to which Samantha replied.

"We are in the space in between spaces. We just need to adjust slightly and we'll be back on track in no time flat."

Eve seemed a bit concerned over their situations considering the events that had led up to their escape. With a few turns of a knob and a few buttons pushed light suddenly appear all around them. It was a field they were in. The sky lit up and darken at a fast pace. The grass grew and the flowers bloomed right before them. The sun and the moon raced across the sky followed by clouds and storms. Mountains grew and crumbled. Samantha was taking notes and observing the changes.

"Mistress, where are we heading now? We have gotten away from the Emperor's grasp as well as the general who enslaved us."

Samantha put her ink quill and notebook down and readjusted her eye glasses.

"My dearest Eve, have no fear. We are simply heading into the future."

"What will we find in the future mistress?"

"I don't know, maybe freedom. Maybe love. Maybe a family waiting for us. Perhaps a home. One with food and comfort." Samantha said as she petted Eve as they both watched the field around them start to change again.

Trees around them started to fall and structures were being built. First a small farm. Wheat and barley shot out of the ground and were just as fast cut down. More buildings sprang up. Some buildings continued to grow as others were torn down. Roads suddenly were laid all around her. The small farm suddenly became a town. People rushed all around her back and forth. The buildings suddenly grew taller and taller. The roads were smoothed and flatten. Strange things flew in the sky that made a loud and disturbing noise. Lights started to flicker all around her. The loud noise came again and the area around her and Eve shook. Samantha looked concern as the environment around her suddenly blocked out the sun as they were incased inside a building. Bright lights flashed down on them and flickered on and off. Wooden boxes suddenly stacked all around her. Samantha reached for the dial and slowly turned it to the left. The objects around her started to slow down.

"Mistress, why are we stopping?"

"I have to see what this is." Samantha said as she turned the dial all the way down.

Suddenly it was dark all around them. Then from the distance, voices could be heard. Mumbling off in the distance followed by a loud clanging sound. The bright light entered from the side of the building. Three shadow figures emerged from the light. Samantha got off the machine and hid behind the crates. Peering through the cracks she saw the three figures converse with one another. The motions suggested friendly at first. The one of them pulls out an object and points it at both figures. Loud shots ringed out as the two figures fell to the ground. Samantha gazed with horror at the scene and watched the last figure flee the scene. Samantha got up when the shadow figure was gone and moved over to the others that were lying on the ground.

"Mistress, I do not think this be wise." Eve said as she slithered out from Samantha's bag.

"Eve, I got to see if they are alright." Samantha countered as she moved quickly over to the scene.

Two bodies laid on the ground. Blood was splattered all around them. Upon further inspection of the bodies one of them was holding something in their hand. Samantha reached for it and pulled it out of their palm and inspected it. Tiny splats of blood covered the strange disc. With a quick wipe down of the blood the words on the disc read 'MLD Inc.'.

Suddenly from the distance she heard a low whining sound. Flashing lights of both red and blue came into her face. Strange beasts conjured of metal and lights approached her. Samantha backed up slowly and then turned to run.

"Stop her!" a voice cried out from the metal beast of lights and sound.

Heading back to the time machine she was tackled by a large man who began to slam her to the ground. Tools from her bag scattered on the floor as the large man wrestle with her. Cold steel clamped around her wrists and tighten. Samantha let out a grunt as she was yanked away. All this proceeded in a fast manor that was too much for her to handle. She was brought to the metal beast where a man in blue questioned her on the scene of the bodies. She remained silent. She was then husked away towards the metal contraption and tossed inside. Her belongings were confiscated. One of them men screamed as Eve apparently bit his hand. She gave a slight chuckle as she peered through the glass. What a strange world this is. Full of strange people but people none the less. With new machines and devices. She had to figure out what all of this was and what kind of new world she had found herself in.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Girl with the Blue Hair

Tossed into the cold and damp cell. The sound of rats scattering scared Samantha as she sat in the corner of her new caged home. Of course this was all in her head and she was just exaggerating the situation. It was a clean cell. One cot and a sink with a toilet. No rats. But she absolutely was in the corner of her cell, panicking on the inside. She took her glasses off and cleaned them. Maybe seeing this new world with cleaner lenses would help. Sadly it did not. No sign of Eve anywhere. She was all alone. Then the sound of opening and closing of the metal doors ringed through the area and a new voice could be heard.

"Hey Jerry, hows it going?" said a soft voice.

"All is all. I got your usual cell all set up."

"Okay, need to check my gear?"

"Nah I trust you."

"Cool. See you in 72 hours."

"See ya Tannin."

Samantha pressed her head against her cell door only to see another woman walk in. She had tattoos all up and down her arms. Her skin was as pale as snow and her hair was the color of a bright blue. Around her waist was a plaid jacket along with a satchel. The sound of her boots making a clank sound as she walked by and enter in the cell across from Samantha. She stopped to light a cigarette and sat down. Then she turned to look at Samantha, on her knees with her face up on the cell door.

"Hey blonde, you want a cigarette?" The woman with the blue hair asked as she held up a cigarette.

"Uh, no thanks. And it's Samantha. Not blonde."

"Whatever, blonde. Your loss." Samantha displayed a look of disapproval at the stranger's comment. It only seemed to amuse the stranger. She gave a slight chuckle and went back to smoking her cigarette. It was not long before the silence was broken. "So blonde, what are you in for? You don't look like the usual trash that comes in here." Said the girl as she put out her cigarette. "Excuse me, my name is Samantha. Not Blonde. And if you must know I am innocent." Samantha said with frustration.

"Sure blonde, that what they all say."

"You just hear what you want to hear don't you..you..you..vagrant!" Samantha said as she got up from her little corner and faced the stranger. A bright flash emitted and temporary impaired Samantha. She let out a low cry and covered her eyes. She quickly turned towards the cell door, eye red and watering. With a loud roar she shouted, "What the hell was that for?".

"Ah, sorry about that blonde. Just wanted to get a picture of you fuming over there before you exploded. Now for the aftermath pic." The stranger replied as she took another picture. This time Samantha ducked away from the bright flash and hid her head in the corner.

"Geez and I thought I hated bright lights. Oh names Tannin by the way." Tannin said as she saluted with two fingers towards Samantha who was now covering her head in the corner of her cell. Tannin fiddled with her camera for a bit. "So Sam you never answered my question. What are you in here for? I know you said you are innocent. That doesn't matter. You're still here." Tannin said as she glared over to Samantha.

"Okay. Fine." Samantha said as she wiped her eyes. "I was just, traveling around and I saw three men talking. Then I saw one pull out what I think was a gun and shot two of the guys there." She said as she stared at the ground with a slight tear in her eye.

"Ah, that's pretty steep. Murder is never a good thing to be mixed up in." Tannin said as she put away her camera. "I don't know what to do. I am not familiar with the way things are done here." Samantha said as she clamp her hands over her face.

"Where are you from anyway?" Tannin said curiously. Samantha sat in silence. "That's a bit of a long story." She said as she removed her hands from her face. "Here, take a few sips of this and you'll feel better." Tannin said as she pulled a bottle out of her bag. "Is that alcohol!?" Samantha spouted out.

"Hush hush. Keep it down okay. If the cops find out I'll have to share with them too." She said with a smirk on her face. Samantha just glared at Tannin as she waved the bottle of alcohol in the air in one hand and a glass in the other. "You know you want to." Tannin said as she taunted Samantha.

Samantha broke eye contact and stared at the ground for a moment before agreeing to Tannin's offer. In a swift motion the glass was filled to the brim and slid across the floor. Samantha took the glass with ease, took a deep breath and took a gulp. Tannin's eye opened wide as she witness this strange young lass drank half the cup. It wasn't long before Samantha started to choke and spit the last remnants out into the hall and on Tannin. Tannin did not flinch nor blinked as Samantha sprayed her in the face. "Good stuff eh?" Tannin said as she removed her sunglasses and wiped them with her shirt.

"AHHH, yuck! What is this stuff?" Samantha demanded as she gazed into the glass. "Ah, that's a special mixture I made myself. It's a combination of whiskey, vodka and bourbon all slushed into one." Tannin replied as a look of pride emerge on her face. That look soon disappeared as the glass came flying across the hallway shattering on the cell door. "Looks like someone had a bit much." Tannin said as she casually brushed off shards of broken glass from her hair. Samantha started to cry out. She cried out loudly as tears ran down her face. "Why!? Why me!?" she said as she dropped to her knees. "Hey, come on Samantha. Talk to me. What's got you down?" Tannin said as she turned towards Samantha who was now in a fetal position on the floor in her cell. "I'm scared okay!" she said loudly. "I'm terrified! I don't like not knowing things okay! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!" She took another deep breath and let out another cry. "I can't escape. I just can't. I've come so far; only to be trapped inside a cage. I hate it! I just hate being alone."

Tannin looked upon the scene, then peered down the hallway to see if the other cops had heard the loud crying. So far it was quite on the other end. "Hey, Sam. Don't worry okay. You'll be fine. I know you're scared. I understand that you're defiantly not from here. I get that. I get that you're scared and alone. Don't worry about things that are out of your control. You got all the time in the world to worry about other things." Tannin said as she leaned back against the wall. "I mean hell. I've been around. I've been around a lot actually. I've seen the best and the worst. I've lived through it all. Believe me. It'll get better. Time is your best ally in a situation like this."

Silence once again consumed the area. It wasn't long before it was broken by the sound of laughter. "Time? Time? Really!? Time is my best ally? No you know who my best ally is here? No one! Cause the only friend I did have here is gone! And I don't know where she is!" Samantha let out as silence filled the room once again. There was a pause in the conversation. As if for a brief moment the universe itself stopped. Though for a brief moment, to Samantha, the world outside the walls didn't exist. Not even the girl across from her existed. She was all alone. Suddenly from down the hall there was a loud sound. Screaming could be heard from behind the door. The sound of flesh being pounded on could be heard. More screaming and then spitting. Wood hitting cement. All of these sounds together brought the world back to Samantha as well as her curiosity. Tannin remained still. Quietly sipping her drink she too watched the door to see what would emerge from the outside and into their own little world that they inhabit.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four: The Pit Fighter

The sound of scuffling continued behind the door. With a quick burst the door flew opened as one guard backed up into the room holding someone. With one quick motion he threw the person into the room and on the ground. It was another girl. She had short red hair and her face was swelling with bruises and cuts. Her hands and feet were bandaged up and smeared with blood stains. She gave a quick glance at Samantha only to spit on the ground and get back up. She stood up only to be struck down by the guard.

"Now stay down!" shouted the guard as the other one approached from behind with handcuffs. The girl on the ground struggled but it wasn't long before she was handcuffed and tossed into a cell next to Tannin. It was quite again. The girl laid on the ground facing the wall with her hands behind her back. The quite sound of her struggling with the handcuffs caused the silence to be broken. Tannin lit another cigarette. "Hey, you okay back there?" Tannin said as she took a puff of her cigarette. "Yeah. I'm fine. Heh. That was fun." The stranger said as she rolled over to her cell door. Samantha remained there, quietly observing. "Need some ice there?" Tannin said as she reached into her bag and pulls out a martini mixer. "You got ice in that thing?" Replied the stranger. "Well I was saving it for a drink. But you can have it if you need it." "Yeah thanks, um I don't know if you haven't noticed but I'm kind of stuck here." Tannin put her martin mixer down and reached under her arm warmer and removes a key and tosses it inside the stranger's cell. The stranger was baffled at the scene of a key being tossed so carelessly into her cell. She rolled around and fiddled with the key. One click and the handcuffs were off.

The stranger rub her wrists and moved back to her cell door where a hand poked around with a cloth piece housing a handful of ice inside. She thanked the stranger and handed back her the key.

A low sigh was given as the stranger placed the ice pack on her bloody face. With another pause she glared at Samantha who didn't take her eyes off the stranger the entire time. "What are you looking at blonde?" She asked as she shifted the bag of ice from one side of her face to the other. Samantha pouted and sat down. "Her name is Samantha, and mines Tannin. What is your stranger?" Tannin said as she took another puff from her cigarette. "Io. It's Io" Io said as spat out blood. "Sounds like you have been having a good night eh Io?" Tannin said as she put out her cigarette only to light another one.

"Oh yeah. It was a hell of a fight. So there I was. Up against this six foot five, three hundred pound cupcake. He already got a few lucky swings in me. Then I took a shot at his jaw and he fell like a ton of bricks. It was glorious. I'll tell you, standing there in the spotlight; hearing the crowd going wild. Damn, it's like you're standing in the center of the universe and everything revolves around you. Say give me one of those." Io said as she reached around to get a cigarette from Tannin. Tannin passed the lighter as well and Io lit up her cigarette and took a big puff. "Anyway, so there I was standing on top of this guy. Crowd going wild when suddenly Officer Buzzkill and the no fun police show up to ruin my fun. Well they started to wrestle with some of the folks there so I clunked out a few blue boys. Wasn't long before they all ganged up on me and threw me in the back of their car and drove me here. Heh. I think I broke that guy's nose over there." Io said with a grin on her face. "Good lord, you're a hoodlum." Samantha said as she reared back in shock. "Hey blonde she ain't so bad. I was got busted for playing poker. I had a full house going. First one of the night and the cops busted in. Wish I had her strength to fight them off." Tannin said as she poured herself a drink. Samantha glared at both of them, bewildered she said, "Are you two part of some club or something?". Io looked over to Tannin. Tannin looked over to Io. They shocked shook their head. "Sorry, this is the first time I've seen Red." Tannin declared as she put her cigarette back in her mouth. "Yeah this is the first time I've seen Blu." Io said as she looked back at Samantha. "Hey Io, blonde here is new and has a problem with her lost friend. A murderer and a crime scene." "Sounds tough kid." Io said as she put out her cigarette.

The lights started to flicker. "Yup! Jerry got beer in the power supply again." Tannin said. The lights flicker on and off again until they didn't turn on. "That's always a good sign." Io said as she laid down on the cold floor. The room grew quite again. It was hours or maybe even minutes. Felt like an eternity for the three as they laid there in the dark. The faint glow of a smoldering cigarette from Tannin's hand was the only thing that lit up. Then another sound interrupted their silence. A puff sound. It came from behind the door. Rummaging and the sound of papers being tossed. Then a scream. And a thud. Silence once again crept over and submerged itself. Something was off.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Lights Out

In the darkness, the three waited. Waiting to see if the lights would turn on. Waiting to see if signs of life would break the silence. Nothing. Tannin reached into her pocket and pulled out the key and began to unlock her cell. Samantha objected to this and questioned her actions. "I'm just going to check something out blonde, okay?" Tannin said as she slowly opened her cell and crept out. The lights flickered back on, drawing attention to them by everyone in the area. Slowly Tannin continued to sneak down the hallway. Opening the door at the end of the hall she peered in. The fresh smell of blood hit her nose and at that moment she saw the body of one of the guards lying on the ground. Tannin slowly closed the door and headed back to the others and began opening their cells. "We got to go. We've got blood, a body and a potential other body somewhere." Samantha and Io looked at her as best they could in the darkness. Sharing a look of bewilder they all headed towards the door and opened it.

The scene was a mess. Papers were scattered around. Coffee was spilled on the floor along with one of the guards. Samantha reared back in horror of the scene. Io gave a low sign. Tannin moved over the body and checked the other doors. Samantha rummaged through the papers as best she could without looking at the dead body that laid before her. Io just paced back and forth. "Okay it looks like its all clear from this hallway but the door at the far end is cracked." Tannin said as she quietly closed the door. Samantha finished going through the papers. Nothing of interests here, just some police forms and some newspapers. Io continued to pace back and forth until she gave a loud shout and hobbled around the room. Grabbing her foot she sat on the ground. Samantha and Tannin both went over to her to see what the problem was. There was a reddish mark on the bottom of Io's foot. Tannin looked around on the ground and found what Io had stepped on. It was a bullet shell. "Nine millimeter. Someone here has a gun." Tannin said as she put the bullet shell in her back. Samantha looked at her in confusion. "A nine what?" Tannin reached back into her back and handed Samantha the bullet shell. "It's a shell to a nine millimeter handgun. Considering none of us heard a gunshot I'm guessing this was suppressed." Tannin said as she reached back into her back and started to searched through it. "Good one detective!" Io shouted. "Now, what are we supposed to do? Take the opportunity here and run away?" "Not yet." Said Tannin as she pulled out an oddly shaped pistol. Io and Samantha were surprised just as much as they were concern. "Uh, Tannin. What do you have there?" Said Samantha with worry in her voice. "Don't worry blonde, this is just a tranquilizer gun." Tannin said as she loaded a dart in the breach. The two remained silent as they watched Tannin move over to the door and proceed down the empty hallway.

Io turned to Samantha and ask, "Say, you are defiantly not from here aren't you? You from up north or something?". "No, um just no. I am not from here." Samantha replied as she look down. She poked her head back up and said, "What about you? What is your story?" Io gave a smirk. "No blonde I don't have a story." She said as she too stared at her feet. "Come on, everyone has a story." "Not me blonde. Bad time for asking for a backstory now don't you think?" Io said as she pointed down the hall where Tannin was peeking through the door only to disappear behind it.

"Hey blonde!" Yelled Tannin. "This your snake?" With a violent motion Samantha bolted from the room slamming the door on her way out leaving Io in the dust. With an aggressive push Samantha launched herself into the room only to knock Tannin back with the door. Tannin slumped to the ground behind the door rubbing her head. "I'll take that as a yes." Tannin said only to be hit the face again by Io who came into the room.

"Mistress! I am pleased to see you are doing well." The snake called out. "Eve!" Samantha cried out as she picked up the snake. Both Tannin and Io were stunned at the display. "A talking snake. Now I have seen everything." Tannin said as she got up from behind the door. Io stood in the back quivering with fear. "Mistress, friends or not?" Eve said as she turned her head towards Tannin and Io. "Friends Eve, they helped me get out of the cage I was imprisoned." Samantha said. A sign of relief escape her mouth as she took a deep breath. "Okay. So you guys are probably wondering why Eve can talk? And where I come from right?" Tannin got up, adjusted her sunglasses. Io was still standing in the back now slowly moving towards the corner. "Well you see I don't exactly come from here. Here as in this point of time. I have traveled from another point in existence and I have come here to see the future of what was once the land which I lived in." Samantha said quickly with a smile on her face. "Eve here is a companion I met along my travels in my own point of existence. You see when I was little I was always fascinated with the world outside of our city. Father wouldn't allow travel into the forest but on a night I disobeyed him and when I came back, Eve was with me." Samantha said as she took another deep breath. Her heart was racing. Tannin blinked a few times and Io stood in the corner puzzled. "So you're a time traveler and this is your animal companion that you found in a forest outside of your city from another time period?" Tannin said with a confused look upon her face. Samantha nod her head in agreement. "Well fuck I believe it. Hell I've seen weirder." Tannin said as she placed a cigarette in her mouth and started to smoke it. Io remained silent. "Io, um are you okay? Did I make you uncomfortable?" Samantha said with a look of worry upon her face. Io continued to remain silent. Her back was against the wall. Sweat was pouring from her head. "Hey Red, you okay?" Tannin asked. Io gave a slight whimper. She was now breathy heavily. "Mistress, may I try to comfort the red one?" Eve said turning her head towards Io. Io let out a scream. Tannin looked at Io. The turned to Eve. Looked at Io again and said, "Are you afraid of snakes?" Io spoke on gibberish at this point. "You mean to say, that you will take on a six foot tall man along with several police men but one little snake and that's it?" Io turned to Tannin. "It's not as simple as that Blu!" "Oh on the contrary red one. You suffer from a slight snake phobia. Quite common in your species." Eve said. Io gave another low scream. "Does it have to talk!?"

"Okay Io, listen to me. This is going to be fine. Okay? The snake will go back in the bag and then we can leave here okay? Does that sound good?" Tannin said as she desperately tried to get Io to look at her and not Eve. Io trembled as her head slowly turned towards tannin. "Okay." She stuttered. Io remained in the corner not looking at Eve while Tannin and Samantha examined the body. The person who lied there dead had a welt on his hand. He was decorated in a suit. His hat laid beside him on the ground. A gun was clutched in his other hand. Tannin searched through his pockets only to find small things. A watch, some money and a card. The card read 'MLD Inc.'. Samantha searched the room only to discover her bag which was taken from her. Looking through her things she noticed that the disc she took from the dead body earlier was missing.

"Anything wrong blonde?" Tannin asked as she put the watch, the money and the card into her pocket discreetly. "Yes, there was a sort of disc shape object. It was small and flexible and shinned in the sun. It's missing." Samantha said as she started to take everything out of her bag. Tannin glanced over at the items that Samantha was taking out of her bag. Strange things that she hasn't seen in a long time. An ink and quill for one. A small journal. Papers with equations written on them. Drawings of large circular devices. Tannin approached Samantha and picked up a few of her papers. Samantha's head swiveled up as Tannin started to look through the papers. With lighting fast reflexes Samantha snatched the papers out of Tannin's hand. "Sorry those are personal. Some of theme still need work. And-Hey! Put that down!" She yelled as Tannin picked up her journal and started to go through it. Samantha yanked the journal out of her hand and held it tightly. "Possessive much are we?" Tannin said as she put her hands in her pockets. "It's just that these are very personal for me okay. They are also very fragile." Samantha said as she placed the journal back into her bag. "So, was any one of those drawings your time machine?" said Tannin. Samantha jerked her head up. With her eyes wide open she screamed, "AH! My machine! I completely forgot I left it there!" Samantha said as she shoveled her papers in her bag and stood up. "Where did you leave it?" asked Tannin. Samantha stood there for a moment and described the area in which she found herself in. "Ah, you were at an airport." Tannin said as she moved over to a file cabinet. "What is an airport?" Samantha asked. "An airport is an area that houses a lot of planes. Many people go there to travel great distances in a short amount of time. Believe me I know how you feel." Tannin said as she fiddled with the lock on the cabinet. With a slight twist in the wrist, she opened the cabinet and started to go through the files. "Here you go blonde. Your case file. Gives you location, time, body count. The works." Tannin said as she placed the file on the desk. Samantha looked at the files and looked at Tannin. "How do you know all of this stuff? You seem to know everything."

"Well blonde, when you have been in and out of institutions like me; over a period of time you start to know your way around. Plus I'm good at picking locks and swiping things from people. I've had a lot of practice." Tannin said as she wrote down names and places on a piece of paper. "Alright guys I got the place. We need to get to Conner Airport."

Their victory was cut short as a voice from the dead body echoed through the room. "Eagle Nine to Eagle Six, have you retrieved the disk?" Tannin and Samantha looked puzzled as to where the voice was coming from. Tannin moved the body over on its side to reveal a small handheld radio in the inside pocket of the man's jacket. Inside the jacket was a small disc. Before anything else was said Samantha grabbed the disc and showed it to Tannin. "See here is the disc I found."

"Uh blonde, we may have more important things right now." Tannin said as she pointed to the radio. Samantha looked puzzled at the strange device. She had never seen anything like it. As she attempted to reach for it Tannin reached out and slapped her hand. "No. Best not to touch it. We should probably go." Little did Tannin know that as she had her back turn to rally Io, Samantha reached for the radio and slipped it into her bag. She can always tinker with the new device later. Io was still in the corner, her arms were folded and her head was turned away in shame. "Come on Io we got to get going now." Tannin said as she opened the door. Io stood there. "What's the matter red? Still a bit shaken up?"

Io took a deep breath and moved towards the door. "Come on guys! You think a small tiny reptile is going to scare me?! Nah I'm good." Io said with confidence in her voice. Puffing out her chest with her hands at her hips. "Come on guys. Let's get going?" Io said as she marched towards the door.

Through the door and into the hallway they went. The lights remained on. Silence filled each room as the passed through. They reached the entrance of the police station. No one was around. The three quickly glanced around for any signs of life. They found none. Their search was cut short with the sound of tires screeching. Suddenly a hail of gunfire erupted through the entrance. Glass went flying everywhere. Tannin dodged out of the way and hid behind a corner. Samantha was grabbed by Io and tossed behind the desk. Samantha slide across the top of the desk, knocking things over as she fell on the behind the desk. A low scream echoed as blood splatted the walls. Io slumped over on her side. Covered in glass and a bullet lodged into her shoulder she fell on her back. The gunfire continued as more and objected started to get torn apart by the oncoming barrage. The walls were getting torn to bit as pieces of plaster flew across the room. The lights overhead shattered as glass fell on top of Samantha as she curled up into a ball on the ground. The smell of sulfur and burnt plaster filled the room. Io was still breathing. She began to start crawling towards the desk where Samantha was hiding behind covering her ears with her hands. Tannin was off to the side rummaging through her bag, tossing things to the side. Io was slowly making her way to the desk. Her vision was blurry and her face was covered in sweat. Arms trembling, still clinging to life, she made her way behind the desk. Samantha gasp in horror to see Io in such a state. Io laid down on the ground as Samantha applied pressure to her wound. Tannin finished going through her bag and ran towards the group. At this moment the barrage ended briefly. Samantha was in tears as she tried to help Io.

"Sammy, okay listen to me okay? You have to stay down. Make sure to put your hands here okay." Tannin said as she instructed Samantha on temporary treating Io's wounds. Samantha said nothing, only nodded. "Okay can you fire a gun?"

Samantha gave her a look of fright and confusion. Her ears were still ringing loud. "Good enough." Tannin said as she handed Samantha a rusty looking pistol. "Just point and click, that's all you need to know." Tannin said as she moved towards the edge of the desk. Taking a quick glance around she noticed there was a small black car outside the station. She couldn't recognized any faces but the shadows suggested at least three men. Io was gasping heavily and staring off into space. Samantha had one hand on Io and the other wielding the gun. Tannin made serval quick glances around the room. She had to figure out a way out of here. But not only did she had to avoid getting shot, she had to avoid everyone else getting shot as well as carrying Io. Looking back over, she noticed another door. It may lead outside or it may lead to somewhere else. What else could she do? "Alright, Sam. I'm going to leave. I'll be back. If anyone comes here other than me, remember. Point and click. That's all." Tannin said as tears trickled down Samantha's face as she took in a deep breath. Crawling over to the other side, Tannin made a run for the other door. Guns started to fire into the building once again as the walls and the carpet were being torn up. Tannin slammed her body into the door catching herself at the last minute before falling on the ground. Slamming the door shut she grabbed a chair and wedged it under the door handle. The room was foul smelling. Blood was cast on the walls. The two other police men were dead on the ground. No weapons on them.

Meanwhile the men in the car suddenly got out of their vehicle and started to move towards the station. Samantha remained behind the desk, too scared to look behind to see what was going on. Sweat poured from her forehead mixing with her tears as it rolled off her face and onto Io's, whom was still breathing heavily with her eyes closed. The sound of cracking glass was getting closer and closer. Samantha let go of Io's wounded and grasp the pistol with both hands now. The two figures now close to the desk, armed with submachine guns looked at each other and nodded. One went over to the door where Tannin went in and tried to open the door. Realizing that is locked the figure started to slam his body into it. Meanwhile the other figure slowly crept over to the desk and peeked over. It a moment of sheer panic Samantha opened her eyes and turned the pistol towards the man and squeezed the trigger. The sound of the gun going off alerted the other man as he watched his companion give out a low groan and he was knocked back to the floor. The door then opened on Tannins end as she came through with the chair she used to shove the man out of her way. The man quickly knocked the chair out of her hands when suddenly a loud roar came from his left as Io charged at the man. Screaming loudly she clobbered the man in his cheek and kept on slamming her fists into him. The first blow knocked the man back and he saw stars. He turn his gun towards her but she grabbed it with her left hands only to turn it away just in time as the gun went off. Io then connected with another right hook in the man's face while the gun continued to fire at the ceiling. Io then kneed the man in the gut and he went down. She continued to wail on him as she screamed. Blood poured from the man as Io kept on hitting him. Then once again silence. Tannin stared in shocked as she witness Io tenderize the poor man whose face now resembled that of crushed berries. "Whoa.", was all that came out of Tannin's mouth as she saw Io stood up. Still bleeding from her wound she shuffled over to Tannin only to be caught by her. Io's breathing started to slow down, her eyes were closing. "I hate guns." Io said as she closed her eyes and slipped into a state of unconsciousness. Tannin checked her pulse to make sure she was still alive and carried her over to the desk and laid her beside Samantha who was still pointing the gun towards the man she shot. Tears were solidified on her face. She was petrified with fear. The only thing that was still moving was her index finger which was still pulling the trigger of the old pistol.

"Okay easy there tiger." Tannin said as she slowly approached Samantha. Carefully taking the pistol out of her hand she placed it back in her bag. "Hey. Look at me okay? Look at me." Tannin said as she tried to get Samantha to turn away from the body. She slowly turned her head to Tannin after a brief moment. "Hey, you did good okay? Just sit down for a bit. It seems to be over." Samantha sat back down with her back to the desk. Tannin walked over to the body. A submachine gun was lying right next to him. "Ah nine millimeter." She said as she took the magazine out of the weapon. Tannin started to go through the body. First a few kicks in the stomach to make sure the guy was truly dead. She didn't have enough patience right now to take a pulse. No response. What remained on the individual was no ID of any kind, only a few magazines, a handgun with ammunition and a silencer. "Very convenient" Tannin said as she put the items into her bag. The sound of an engine roaring off into the distance signaled the end of the fight and for a brief moment all was calm.

Samantha started to mumble to herself. Tannin got up and slowly walked over to her. "You okay there blonde?" Samantha was looking at her hands. Stained in blood and sweat she gazed upon herself. With a quick chuckle to herself she looked back up to Tannin. "Oh my lord, that was intense!" She said with a smile on her face. "Easy there tiger, that's just the adrenaline flowing through you. Just take it easy for a few minutes." Tannin said as she moved over to Io and started to patch up her wound. Opening her bag and pouring a bit of alcohol on a ray, Tannin began to clean Io's wound. Io's eye suddenly burst open wide. Her arm cannoned from the ground, snatching the bottle out of Tannin's hand and began to drink the alcohol. "Whoa. That's twice today you surprised me red." Tannin said as she continued to clean the wound. After a moment of drinking and a few heavy breaths Io turned to Tannin and said, "How bad is it?"

"Ah it's not too bad. Got shot with a nine millimeter in the shoulder. You should be fine. Though you might want to ease off a bit. Lost a bit of blood back there when you turned that guy into grape jelly." Tannin said as she was cleaning Io's should wound. "Now do you want this done the fast way or the right way?" Tannin said as she lit a cigarette. Io gave a look of confusion. Tannin sat there next to her smoking her cigarette, waiting for a response. Io glanced at the cigarette for a moment, not sure what was going to happen next she said, "I'll take the right way."

"Too bad." Tannin said as she quickly grabbed Io's arm and jammed her cigarette directly on her shoulder. Io gave a loud scream and punched Tannin in her face so hard that she flew back. Io quickly grabbed her shoulder in agony. Tannin just laid there on the ground. Blood trickling down from her nose. "Worth it." She said as she sat up to see Io clutching her shoulder. "You crazy bitch that hurt!"

"Yes I imagine so. But at least the bleeding stopped." Tannin said as she picked herself back up and lit another cigarette. Wiping her nose she notice that Samantha had calmed down a bit more and looking right at her. "So what now?" Samantha said as she crossed her legs and leaned back on the desk again.

"We still have to get out of here and get to your little time machine." Proclaimed Tannin and she finished her cigarette and put it out in a small pool of blood on the ground.

"Ah, my compliments." An unknown voice entered into the room. "You see I was not expecting much when I sent my men to the station. A few guards but nothing like this."

All eye were drawn to Samantha's bag as she opened it up to find that the voice was coming from the small handheld radio that she had. Tannin glared at Samantha with disapproval and silently pointed to the radio. "I figured you would be curious enough to take the radio and now I can see that I wasn't wrong in that assumption." Tannin reached for the radio and looked around. "I'm up here little one." The three then look around and fixed their eyes on the security camera. "Yes right there. Please who may I be speaking to?"

"Nobody." Tannin said as she stared at the camera. "Oh please, we all have names. Why, my name is Robert Bensworth and I am in charge of the science division of MLD corporation. I want to speak to the one who built the brass machine that was discovered in my hanger." Samantha's eyes opened with fright as Tannin turned towards her, passing the radio. Samantha, still confused, took the radio. "Uh, hello." "Yes hello, my complements on your brilliance. The machine is something I have never seen before." Samantha stood there stunned. "Please tell me you have not activated the align crystal yet have you?" "Oh yes. The results were fascinating. The amount of energy that was released from such a tiny crystal was incredible."

"Look please, I don't think you understand what you have there-". "Oh yes I do believe we are on the verge of discovering the crystal full potential as we speak." "No you don't! Listen to me! You're going to cause some serious damage if you don't stop!" Samantha said as she gripped the radio in her hand. "I see that we are not going to agree. I was hoping that you could assist us to use this crystal along with the machine to propel mankind into the future and advance our technology and science. But it's clear now that you are not willing to cooperate with us."

"You're right. I do not intended to cooperate with a bunch of meatheads who think they are high and mighty all because they wear a fancy coat and call themselves scientists! Okay! I'm asking you once again! Please halt all projects relating to my machine and return the items I requested immediately before you crack a hole in space!" Samantha shouted into the radio. Tannin and Io stood back as they watched Samantha continue to shout into the radio. "Please don't okay! The crystal with the improper settings and alignment could tear a hole and bend the space around it. It can release a huge amount of energy that will consume everything around it and if the chamber if left uncheck the machine could explode with enough energy to erase matter from existence! Do you understand!?" Silence. There was no response from the radio.

"I see that we will be working on this alone. Thank you for your contribution." With that Samantha crushed the radio in her hand and threw it against the wall. The handheld radio shattered into pieces. Io slowly stood up and said, "Well that is never a good sign."

"We have to get the crystal back. It can erupt the flow of time that surrounds us. It can halt, speed up or reverse the energy. If left to monkeys in uniform it can destroy everything around us. The amount of energy in it can release and cause a temporal cascade. We really have to get it back."

Io stood there, blank face. With a shrug she said, "Translation?"

"It's very bad! Bad! Bad! Bad! Bad!" Samantha said with panic in her voice.

"Bad. Got it." Said Io.

"We should go, I think the police might be near." Tannin said as checked outside. No one. Not a soul. This was strange. Usually the police would have been here all packing enough heat to blow up the far side of the moon. Sounds of panic and sirens were off in the distance but clearly going in another direction. Something bigger is happening right now. Something bad.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Unto the Breach

Outside was dead. There was no signs of life. The three exited the building. Io was still limping and was being carried by Tannin. Samantha was still in a state of panic as she mumbled to herself. It was dark out. Most likely past midnight close to one in the morning. The sky was black with streaks of gray clouds forming. Among the gray clouds were flashes of green and blue. The sounds of chaos were off into the distance. Sirens, people, cars, everything that was happening was somewhere else. Stepping out into the cool air, the group gathered together to figure out what to do next. Before they could say anything, a bus sped pass them. Smashing into the stop sign and ramming into other cars as it passed. Cool sweat ran down Samantha's spine as the bus just nearly hit her. She stood in the middle of the street. Frozen. Like a deer caught in the headlights. Samantha starred into space for a moment then reached into her bag and pulled out her pocket watch. "12:01 AM" she said as she put her watch back into her bag.

"Shit are you okay there blonde?" Tannin said as she hoisted Io up and dragged her over to Samantha.

"Peachy." Samantha said as she turned to Tannin pulling out her small notebook and started to write. Suddenly, a blue blast arched across the heavens. Samantha jerked head and immediacy her eyes widen with fear. Her head was held up high as she watched more and more blue lights shot across the sky.

"I may have been shot, and lost a bit of blood. But I don't think that's natural." Io said as she pushed off of Tannin and sat on a trashcan. All three were staring up at the sky now, watching the blue lights as they can across the sky. As the light streaked across the night sky the wind began to pick up. Lights started to flicker all around. The blue lights started to reach closer and closer to them. Now Samantha was getting anticipated. "Uh guys we have to go like right now!" Samantha said as she turned to Tannin and Io. They both looked at her with their heads turned away from the skies. "Um, why?" Io said as she scratched the back of her head. Just as Io said that a streak of light crashed down in front of them. There was no loud bang noise. Just a streak of blue light striking the stop sign that was knocked over. The sign itself though turned to dust in an instant. All three immediately jumped at the sight and realized the danger they were in. "Okay I'll give. We have to get out of here but where in the hell are we supposed to go?" Io said as she flung her arms in the air in frustration. Samantha remained silent and continued to write in her notebook. Tannin looked over to Io and shrugged. More and more blue light shot through the sky. The wind suddenly changed direction and the trees started to bend. Samantha put her notebook away, adjusted her glasses and turned towards the others and said, "Okay I know this sounds crazy but we have to go in the direction that those blue lights are coming from." She said as she pointed to the sky. Tannin and Io both started at Samantha, gawking. "Uh, what?" Tannin said as she look at Samantha with a confused look on her face with her head tilted to the left. "Okay listen. Just try to. The blue lights are temporal energy being released. Wherever the crystal and my machine are, it is not being kept properly. Those blue streaks are either reversing or accelerating the flow of time to whatever they touch. Exhibit A, the stop sign. It's gone. This bad. All kinds of bad." Samantha said as she was clearly out of breath, panting. Bending over with her hands on her knees she then fixed her posture, took a deep breath and stared at the other two. Waiting for some kind of reaction. Tannin and Io just stared at her, blank faced. "So that way." Tannin said as she pointed towards the sky. Samantha smacked her face with the palm of her hand in disbelief at the sheer lack of knowledge shared between these two. "Yes!" she said with a cheerful sarcastic tone as she began to walk in the direction to where she pointed earlier. Mumbling to herself, thinking of all of the people to be stuck with in a jail cell it had to be these two.

As the group moved down towards the area where the lights were coming from more and more chaos had begun to consume the city. Cars were shattered and riddled with holes. Glass littered the streets and sidewalks. Small craters were in the streets and builds were on fire. Windows were smashed and people were running around looting. The police were nowhere to be seen other than burnt out police cars and dead police men and women. The clouds began to become darker and the wind started to increase in speed. Piles of ash were on the side of the street as well in the air. The smell of smoke and dust filled the air. More and more blue lights arched across the sky and down onto the streets, hitting whatever were in their path. Tannin reached into her bag, pulled out her camera and took a picture of the scene. The bright flash scared Io and Samantha as they quickly turned around only to see Tannin holding the camera with an apologetic look upon her face and a one word response, "Oops."

The group continued to follow the blue streaks. The scene became darker and darker the further they traveled. Large black clouds stalked overhead as the musty smell of burnt plastic and paint filled the air. For some the site was unbearable. Samantha trembled with her steps, occasionally tripping over a chipped piece of stone on the ground only to be picked up by Io. For a period there was no sound. It was as though they were at the bottom of the sea. Only to be broken by the sound of lighting flashing in front of them. As they traveled the ground beneath them began to shake. First in small burst, then the durations lasted seconds longer.

It was not long before they came to the source of the destruction. Among the destruction there was only one building that stood perfectly in tacked. The rest of the buildings around were affected by age as if a thousand years had gone by. Windows were missing. Street lights were worn to the base and the ground was cracked and smoldering. The strong smell of sulfur hit their noses. Samantha covered her nose in disgust as Tannin and Io acted like nothing was wrong. There was no more people screaming, no cars driving. Just dead silence. The wind was continuing its great force as it now appeared to be drawing whatever was around towards the top of the building. Samantha, Io and Tannin both stood in front of the building and gazed up at the scene. Another flash came from Tannin's camera and in a fit of frustration, Samantha reached over to Tannin and snatched her camera out of her hand.

"No more of this okay? I've had enough surprises for one day." Samantha said as she tucked Tannin's camera inside her bag. Samantha than placed her hand on her chin. "Now how are we going to get in? It must be heavily fortified if they knew we were going to come here. We would have to find a way to sneak pass the guar-"Samantha's talk was cut short as Io walked over to the front door and pulled the door open. "Hey guys its' open!" Io shouted as Samantha stood there gawking at her. She then threw her hands in the air and said, "Whatever! Sure! Let's just use the front door! That's brilliant!" She said sarcastically as Tannin and she walked to the front door where Io stood holding the door open for them.

The inside of the building was all white and clean. It had a shine to everything. A marble fountain of children dancing rested in the center while an empty metal desk was behind it. Everything was working but the area was deserted. Io and Samantha gazed around at the scenery while Tannin hoped the desk and started to fiddle with the computer behind the desk. "Hey Blu, you think you outta be messing with that?" Io ask as she leaned on the desk with her arms crossed. "Relax Io, I'm just checking the alarm system here. Trying to see why this area is empty. So far I'm not finding anything." Samantha stopped gazing for a moment and joined them at the desk. "So any idea of what to do next?" Io said as she scratched her head. Tannin continued to type on the computer. "Well I would make the assumption that the crystal would have to be on the top floor, hence that's where the lights are emitting from." Samantha said as she pulled out her pocket watch to check the time. "Whoa, how many floors you think this building has?" Io said as she peered up at the ceiling that seemed to extend itself very high. "This building has 86 floors. I'm guessing the research facility on the 78th floor it probably where you're little gem is." Tannin said as she continued to star at the computer screen. "Io and Samantha stared at Tannin with a puzzled look. Tannin noticed they were staring at her in such a way that without breaking eye contact from the screen she said, "It's all here on the computer." Tannin then got up and placed her backpack on the desk. Upon opening it she took out her tranquilizer gun and loaded a dart in it and proceed to load the pistol she found. After equipping the silencer on the pistol and placing it in her bag she turned to Samantha. "Blonde, I'm giving you the antique pistol again." Tannin said as she handed Samantha the antique pistol she fired earlier. Tannin was about to hand the pistol with the silencer over to Io but stopped as Io glared at her. Tannin continued to load the submachine gun she found and placed everything else in her bag. Samantha and Io remained silent as Tannin ducked under the desk and ripped out the keyboard of the computer and smashed the screen. Both were appalled at the scene but said nothing as Tannin walked over to the elevator. "We need to keep moving." Tannin said as the doors opened up inside the elevator. Samantha checked her pocket watch one last time and followed along with Io into the elevator. The group got into the elevator and started to ascend to the 78th floor. There was a period of silence before it was broken.

"So Tannin, how do you know how to do these things? A simple crook knows a bit but you know more than you're letting on." Io said. Tannin took a deep breath. "I don't think this is the proper time to be discussing our life stories." Tannin said. The elevator slowly moved up. Then stopped.

"Greetings you three. I honestly didn't expect you to arrive so soon. I would be honored if you could meet me on the top floor." Said a voice from the speaker. Everyone in the elevator frantically looked around until they stopped and realized there was a camera in the elevator watching them. The elevator started up again and started to move at a much faster rate. Io moved over to the panel and tried to push other buttons to stop the elevator but nothing worked. "Hey red, give me a lift." Asked tannin as she stared at the ceiling. With a shot at the camera and a few shots at the ceiling Io went over and hoisted Tannin up to the ceiling. She then moved the maintenance hatch and climb up. "Okay you guys keep him busy, I'll meet up with you guys." Tannin said as she closed the hatch. The elevator was still going without stop. Samantha and Io were left on their own. Stunned that Tannin had left them. By the time they reached the top floor, they were greeted with armed soldiers. Samantha in a panic dropped the pistol she had.

There were four armed men, aiming their rifles at the two with a man in a lab coat standing behind them.

"Your pale friend. Where did she run off to?" asked the man. Samantha and Io said nothing. "Ah no matter. I am Bronsworth and I'm guessing you are the one who built that wonderful machine he said as he pointed to Samantha. Samantha gave him a slight nod. Two men approached the two and began to frisk them. One man picked up the pistol Samantha dropped and took her bag. The other man approached Io and started to frisk her when suddenly Io head-butted the guard. Drops of blood leaked from his nose as he staggered on the ground covering his nose. The other guard immediately ran up to Io and without hesitation jammed his rifle butt in her shoulder. "Ah a pug nashis one eh?" Bronsworth commented as Io went down with a grunt. Her eyes bugged out as she grit her teeth in pain. The guard then grabbed her from behind, putting pressure on her should wound and held her as the other guard picked himself up and continued to frisk Io. "Easy there fighter, it'll only take a second." Only finding a roll of quarters. Handing the roll of quarters back, Io gave the guard a little smirk as he wiped the blood from his nose.

"Now that you two are all set let us begin with the tour." Bronsworth said as he motioned his hand towards the door. "You two, go find the other girl. I don't want any unpleasantness while the testing is continuing." Bronsworth said as he pointed to the two men to his side. The two guards left and headed for the elevator. Now it was Samantha, Io, Bronsworth and the two guards. Bronsworth slid a keycard into the door and walked through. On the other side of the door was more white walls and people in lab coats. There was a large table in the middle of the room where people were examining samples of the crystal under a microscope. Others were mixing samples in test tubes and taking them to another room.

"Here we have gathered samples of your crystal and began to analyze it. It is an amazing source of energy." Bronsworth said as he walked pass the other people in the room. "We have only scratched the surface of the potential something like this. We plan to expand our research and create more of these crystals."

"Create more? How?" Samantha said as her eyebrows narrowed. She stood there folding her arms, waiting for a response from Bronsworth. Bronsworth saw noticed her curiosity and responded, "We have begun to take small samples of your crystal and have started to grow synthetic versions of it. We wish to preserve the original for as long as we can." Samantha looked puzzled. Bronsworth continued to move from one room to the other. In this room there was a large glass window and beyond the window was another person. This one was wearing a biohazard suit. "Only large amounts of the crystal must be examined with extreme caution. Within the first few hours we discovered that certain properties of the crystal were unstable and the effects were not desired."

"Yeah no shit! Have you seen what's going on out there? It looks like an apocalypse out there." Io shouted. A few people turned and looked at her as the door closed behind them. The guard approached behind Io. "Now, now. There is no need for violence. Enough blood has been shed today." Bronsworth said as he held up his hand. "But yes. It was an unforeseen consequence of our first few tests with the crystal in its purest form."

Samantha stopped for a moment and tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean 'purest form'? "Well you see, after the first few tests we concluded that the crystal was not compatible with our current tech. Results were as stated unforeseen and devastating. So since then we used the synthetic crystals which seem to work better with our technology." Bronsworth reached over to the table and picked up a clipboard. "As you can see yourself. The amount of energy we were able to harness from the synthetic crystals has generated more power than nuclear fission." Bronsworth said with a smile on his face along with some cheer in his voice. Samantha took the clipboard and quickly flipped through the notes. She adjusted her glasses and continued to read for a bit before she turned up to Bronsworth and said, "You're serious are this aren't you? Don't you understand that the crystal isn't supposed to work with technology at all?"

Bronsworth stuck his lip out in disappointment. "Really? Then how is it that you are here? How did your machine worked had it not been for the crystal?" Bronsworth folded his arms and glared at Samantha. A pause filled the area. Samantha remained silent. She then put the clipboard back on the desk and turned to Bronsworth and calmly asked, "Where is my crystal?" Bronsworth gave a slight chuckle. "It is safe for now I can assure you."

The door from behind them opened and came running in was a different guard. "Sir, I believe we may have a problem." Bronsworth narrowed his eyebrows and went up to the guard. A moment passed of the two whispering to one another before Bronsworth paused, turned to look at Samantha and Io and turned back. "Well I hoped you two enjoyed the tour. It's a shame we must end like this but I have more important matters that need my attention. Farewell." And with that Bronsworth closed the two with Samantha, Io and the two guards in the room. Both the guards moved toward the door. Samantha again took the clipboard that was on the desk and walked over to the guard who was holding her bag. "Can I have my bag back please?" The guard stared at her and in a monotone voice replied, "No."

"Then can you please put these notes in my bag. I want to save them for further research." She said as she held up the papers on the clipboard. The guard looked at her, scrunched his face and grabbed the papers out of her hand impatiently and stuff them in her bag, crumbling the notes. At the moment he began to pull his hand out of the bag he let out a piercing scream as he whipped out his hand out of the bag, revealing that Eve clamped down on his hand. He dropped the bag and swing wildly, trying to get the snake to let go of his hand. The guard beside him turned his head towards the site but was immediately knocked into the wall as Io ran up to him and with a fistful of quarters knocked the guard out clean. The guard tumbled backwards smacking his head against the wall. Io then proceeded to take another slug at the other guard knocking him to the floor. The guard did a quick spin before landed on his stomach. Eve slithered towards Samantha. "Mistress I was afraid for your safety. " Eve said as she slithered back to Samantha. "Yes Eve, I'm fine. But we got to get going right now."

"Where be the blue one?" Eve said as Samantha picked up her bag and placed her back inside. "No time to explain." Samantha said as she and Io moved over to the door. As the door opened up flashes of red light stream across the air as the scientist inside fled out of the room. The alarm sounded as the building shook. After the last remaining scientist fled the room two more guards appeared and started to shoot at Samantha and Io. Their ears ringed as bullets flew across the room, shredding glass and lab equipment. Microscopes and test samples of the crystal scattered across the floor. Io immediately grabbed Samantha and they both hid behind the large table in the middle of the room. The guards slowly made their way closer to the two, laying down constant fire upon them. Samantha panicked. Shifting her eyes back and forth she desperately searched for a way to save themselves. She then glanced at the floor and noticed there were some shards left. As the bullets continued, Samantha acted quickly and grabbed whatever shards she could. Io looked worried as she took a peak at the guards and witness their movements, not realizing what Samantha was doing. Samantha, with the shards in hand, started to chant. The crystals started to give off a bright blue glow. The air around them started to pick up. Suddenly there was a gust of wind all around them. As Samantha continued her chant, Io looked at her with confusion. Then a bright red flare appeared in the palm of Samantha's hand. It started to spin and swirl with colors of red and orange. Then it started to float on its own. Io was surprised at the scene but also a bit terrified. The guards stopped their previous action, as now there seemed to be a small storm in the room. With the final words Samantha got up and throw the swirling red ball at the guards. The amount of energy that was released knock both the guards and Samantha back as a blast of red hot fire filled the area. The whole room shook as parts of the table were caught on fire.

Samantha was knocked back but recovered with minor burns. Io, still stunned, sat there and then peaked over at the guards who were now on the ground, burnt to a crisp. Io, now frighten at the scene immediately turns back to Samantha. Speechless she could only sit there with her mouth open. The sprinkler system went off and now Io was sitting in a puddle of water, overwhelmed and dismayed as Samantha got herself up and readjusted her glasses. It was Samantha this time that grabbed Io by the hand and pulled her towards the open door. Upon exiting the room a vent grate was kicked down in front of them.

Covered in dust, dirt and a bit of blood, Tannin gave a slight cough and turned to Io and Samantha. "I leave you two alone for 10 minutes and you set the place on fire." Tannin said as she readjusted her bag. Io stumbled with her words but was immediately cut off. "Well where did you run off to that was so important?" Samantha said with fire in her eyes and passion in her voice. Tannin gave Samantha a slight judgmental look as she reached into her bag and pull out a crack crystal on a white chain. The crystal was in a diamond shape, and was as blue as the sea. In the center was a noticeable crack. Samantha ceased all hostile actions as her heart leaped with relief. In a moment of peace, Samantha took the crystal out of Tannin's hand and carefully placed it around her neck. And for that moment, things were back in place. A sigh of relief escape her mouth as she looked back at Tannin who didn't change her expression. "Thank you." Samantha said in a remorseful tone. The building shook again and this time the lights flickered. Crumbs of the ceiling started to fall. The fire behind them raged on and started to spread into the room.

They all took one look at each other and took off running. Gunshots could be heard echoing through the halls followed by a loud bang. More of the building started to rumble. Parts of the windows started to crack and shatter. The three ran and ducked inside the nearest elevator as a guard tried to shoot at them. With the doors closed it seemed they were safe for the moment. Bullets pierced the door and an unfamiliar scream was heard from within the elevator. All three turned their heads to gaze upon woman in the elevator with them on floor with her hands covering her ears. She was a much older looking woman than the rest. Her bright orange hair was neatly tied in a bun and her glasses were on the floor cracked. A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked upon the three with fear in her eyes. "Well shit." Io said as she turned towards the woman on the floor. Feeling vulnerable the woman backed herself in the corner of the elevator. "Easy there. We're not going to hurt you. We just need to get to the first floor okay?" Io said as she put her hands up. The woman gave a slight nod, displaying her understanding of the situation but none the less was still frighten.

The sound of a buzz came from behind Io. Tannin gazed at the site as the elevator buttons were not working. The lights didn't turn on with each press. "Uh, I think this thing is busted." Tannin said as she backed up. Samantha reached into her bag and pulled out a belt of tools. Io and Tannin, bewildered, witness her digging through her tool set and pulling apart the cover. The woman in the corner remained silent as Samantha started to pull wires and bolts. The elevator shook once more and started to swing a bit. The woman screamed in fear as she hugged the railing of the elevator. The three looked up for a moment and looked at each other. "This is not good." Io said. Samantha walked around the elevator, hugging the walls and hitting the walls. "Is this thing all metal?" Samantha said as she turned towards Tannin. Tannin nodded.

She then took off her necklace and looked at Tannin. "You got anymore bullets?" Tannin then reached into her bag and pulled out her pistol and took out the magazine revealing a bullet inside. "Just one" she said as she slid the magazine back in and pulled the slide back. "Perfect." Samantha said as she turned around and started attaching wires inside her crystal. "Okay here's the plan, I'm going to hook the crystal up to this and if we can get enough speed it is possible that we can safely travel through time instead of falling to our deaths." Samantha said as she took clips from her back and wires from inside the elevator she attached the crystal. While doing this she dictated to Tannin, "Okay Tannin, I want you to go up above and cut the cable that's holding this thing in the air." Samantha said as she pointed to the ceiling of the elevator.

Tannin, shocked and terrified look at Samantha. Io and the woman did the same too as Samantha continued to plug in her crystal into the elevator. Tannin turned to Io. "You're not seriously going to do that are you? I mean this is beyond crazy. This is full blown fucking nuts." Io said, hoping that Tannin would agree and that the doors would magically open and all would be well. "What other choice do we have here?" Io stood there, stunned beyond all believe. Tannin did not say another word as she leaped up to the maintenance hatch once again and peered into the darkness that was above them. Gripping to the edge of the hatch door, Tannin aimed her pistol at the wire that dangled above them. She had only one shot left and she had to make this count. The air was thick above the elevator. Heavy with dust and debris. The elevator was carefully swinging back and forth. The cable shimmer from the light inside the elevator and what emitted from the sleeves of the doors. The cables creek as Tannin eagerly awaited for Samantha to tell her to shoot. Meanwhile below, Io was trying to calm the woman down who wouldn't look away from the ceiling, sitting on the ground with her arms on the railing. A single word echoed through everyone's head. "Now!" Samantha shouted as she bolted to the railing and gripped on. Io clutched onto the rails, gritting her teeth she clothes her eyes shut. A loud bang occurred and immediately a heart sinking feeling touched every one of them as the elevator dropped. Tannin in the heat of the moment let go of her pistol as she tried to cling onto the hatch and climb back inside. She failed and slipped out of the hatched. With a bit of luck she grabbed a hold of the dangling cable that was still attached to the elevator. The wind blew into her face as the elevator plummeted to the ground. While hanging and attempted to climb back in. As she was doing so she witnesses flash of blue light circle around her and go through her. She continued to pull herself desperately towards the opening. More flashes of blue emitted from the bottom and went straight threw her. For a brief moment she thought she saw something inside the sphere of blue. It was only a flash but one that burned into her retina. "No." Tannin whispered under her breath as she felt herself slipping.

As the walls around her started to shake and crumble with every flash she pulled herself closer and closer to the hatch. Upon getting close a hand reached out and grabbed her. It was Io. Io with a single heave, thrust Tannin back into the elevator and just in time as the hatch behind her shut. The elevator shook. The lights burnt out. Sparks flew all around them. As they fell into the darkness only the glow of the crystal shinned through. And with a loud thud. It was all over. Tannin and Io were tossed to the side and clunked their heads into each other. Samantha was tossed up and slammed down. And the mysterious woman slide across the floor and hit her head on the railing. In the darkness they slept. Not knowing what awaited them outside those doors.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Gunner

The air was thick, thicker than usual. There was a sense of unease inside the elevator. Items were scattered around the floor. A pen, a broken inkwell, some papers and books. Everyone who was inside was knocked out. The first one to wake was Io. It was the heat that woke her up. The unbearable heat. The heavy air that filled her lungs made it difficult to get up. It was dark. The only source of light were through the cracks in the doors and from the maintenance hatch. Io stepped forward, trying to avoid what she couldn't see. Upon reaching the door and trying to open it, her hand burned. She gave a holler as she backed up into the wall where her back was than burned. She was pouring sweat. She had to get out of here and get some air, and that went for everyone else. With her hands throbbing with pain she attempted to climb the elevator to the maintenance hatch. Her hands burned ever more as she let out another scream, this time she wasn't holding back. She could hear thunder outside and the sound of wind. She pushed with all of her might. Suddenly, she finally burst the hatch open. Wind and sand hit her face as she gave on the site.

There was nothing all around her. They were outside but the air was still thick and muggy. Clouds of both yellow and black circled the sky above. Lighting could be seen in the clouds, arching across the sky. The ground was all rocky and yellow. There was no sign of a sun anywhere. Io climbed on top of the elevator. Stunned by all believe she got down and yelled into the elevator. "Hey Sammy, Tannin, weird girl! You guys got to see this!" There was some movement inside. It was Tannin. She peered up to see Io waving at her and proceeded to climb her way out. She was exhausted. Taking deep breaths with every pull up. . Streaks of black followed her as she stood on top of the elevator. Io stared at her in awe. Her hair had grown from the back of her neck down to the bottom of her spine and her nails had grown into claws. A small trail of blood ran down her face. Her sunglasses were broken and her jacket was torn. Tannin staggered a little bit and observed the area. "Where the hell are we?" she said in tiresome voice. Io stood there quietly, not knowing what to say. She shrugged as Tannin noticed the length of her hair. Then an unknown voice came from the elevator. "Um, hello. Can someone please help me?" It was the woman whom was dragged along on their wild ride. Tannin and Io assisted her in getting to the top. She was a mess as well. Her hair had been undone and her lab coat was torn. The black high heels she was wear were gone. When she saw the clouds she reeled back in horror. She gawked at the sky. Speechless, she turned to Io and Tannin. They both looked back at her and at the same time shrugged. "W-where are we?" The woman said as she looked at Io and Tannin. Once again, both stared at her with blank looks and gave a shrug. This seemed to irritate the woman as she gave a low sigh. "Well, if any of you have noticed. Given the rocky formations and the intense heat I would say we are near a volcano." The woman said. "Oh." Io said as she continued to stare at the woman.

Io eyes widen with shock and turned to Tannin and said, "Hey Blu, Blonde's a witch!" Tannin looked back at Io. "Huh?" is all she could muster. "Yeah! She created a fire ball out of nothing and fried some guys with guns." Io said excitedly. "I think you hit your head a bit hard in the elevator sweetie." Said the woman as she rubbed her forehead with her fingers in frustration. Giving another sigh she continued. "Since we had such rude introductions that was followed with kidnapping, I'll start. My name is Doctor Jane K. And who might my charismatic kidnappers be?" She said with a sarcastic tone as she folded her arms. "I'm Io and this is Tannin. And the witch down in there is Samantha." Io said as she pointed to the open hatch.

"Did someone call my name?" a voice came out of the elevator. "Hey blonde, you okay down there?" Io said as she rushed over to the hatch. "Yeah I think so. Can someone give me a hand here?"

Io reached down and made a loud grunt sound as she pulled Samantha up who was holding on to her bag in one hand and the crystal in the other. "Oh, hello there." She said as she noticed Jane standing there in front of her. "Blonde, why didn't you tell me you were a witch?" Io spat out. Samantha gave Io a look of worry and turned to the others in the group with shame on her face. Lowering her head she replied, "I'm not a witch. I'm a sorcerer." Everyone was a bit perplexed and silent for a moment. "Pardon me. I do hate to be rude in this moment of revelation, but you don't mean to say that magic actually exist?" Jane said as she glared at Samantha with her arms folded. Everyone else glared at Jane for a moment. "Well how do you explain that?" Tannin said as she pointed out to the horizon. Jane was stunned for a moment then replied, "I don't know. This doesn't make any sense. None of my books ever explained something like this." She said as she gestured her arm to the scenery around them. "Wait wait hold on. I think we are about 50 miles ahead of ourselves. Blonde, what's the difference between a witch and a sorcerer?" Io said as she interrupted Jane. Samantha remained quiet with her head hung low. "A sorcerer deals with regular forms of magic including white, grey and black magic. They get their abilities through components. Witches on the other hand deal mostly with black magic and use more curses and hexes than others." Tannin said.

Io turned to Tannin with a look of confusion. Anticipating her next question, Tannin said, "Read a damn book." Io was left speechless. "What would be your field of study there Tannin?" Jane questioned. Tannin turned toward her and replied, "Burglary"

"So you're a thief? An animal, feasting off the lives of others like some vile leech. A plague upon the lands. A monster. Must be a huge disappointment to your parents-"Jane's sentence was cut off as Tannin walked over to her and slapped her across her face. Tannin glared at her with anger in her eyes and then slowly turned around and walked over to the edge of the elevator and sat down with her back turned. A tear rolled down her eye as she gazed into the horizon. Silence once more crept over the group. Tensions later eased up a bit as the clouds started to move away from the area. The heat was still intense. There was no way of telling what time of day it was. It was a desolate place. Not a soul for miles all around them. Samantha sat in the center reading her book. Io sat next to Tannin, not saying a word. Jane sat on the other side opposite of Tannin. Hours went by and no a sound was made. After some more time Jane got up and slowly made her way towards Tannin. Io turned her head around quickly and gave Jane a stare that shook her to her core. Jane halted in her tracks, paralyzed with fright. After a moment she regained her composure. "Tannin." Tannin did not turn, nor acknowledged her existence. She took a deep breath. "Tannin, I want to apologize. My words were uncalled for and childish. Again I am sorry." Jane remained silent, expecting an answer or at least a nod of acceptance. But nothing came from Tannin. She remained motionless. Io was still staring at her as if she was a dog growling at an unfriendly guest. Jane felt alone in this. Without any acknowledgement she turned around and proceed back to her corner of the roof. "It's okay." Called out a faint whisper. Jane turned around. Tannin still hadn't moved. Io was now concerned. "It's okay because you're right. I am a monster." Tannin said with melancholy in her voice. She reached into her bag and pulled out the bottle of alcohol and started to drink from it. Io immediately grabbed the bottle from her hand and chucked it away from her. The bottle shattered and the alcohol seemed into the ground. Tannin looked up at Io, eyes watering up. "Come on Blu, snap out of it!" Io said as she grabbed Tannin by the collar of her shirt. With a single tug Io lifted Tannin up and onto her feet. "Come on, you aren't a monster. Why drive yourself down like that? You're better than that." Tannin turned her head away in shame. "I've done some pretty bad things." She said. "So? I've done some pretty bad things too! My parents got a divorce cause of me! You think you're a monster? How about getting kicked out of school because you were trying to help a friend? How about seeing your family break down all around you cause of one stupid fight? Blu, whatever you have done in the past it does not matter anymore. What matters is what you make of yourself here and now okay?" At this point Io herself was trying to hold back the tears in her eyes. Tannin looked at her and was hugged by Io. They both started to cry. Jane and Samantha stood in the background and watch. They watched them both sat on the ground crying. And after a while they cease but remained next to each other. It was an awkward moment for the spectators. A moment that would soon end with the sight of something moving on the horizon.

Out in the distance, a figure emerged from the sand and dirt. Crawling slowly and slowly towards the group. Eve was the first one to spot this and informed Samantha about it. The sight of a talking snake made Jane jump back with shock. The group gazed at the figure. It was crawling on the ground. Suddenly from behind, a gust of wind and dust appeared. It was getting closer to the figure. The figure did not seem to pay attention to the gust of wind and was suddenly engulf by it. Small explosions could be heard from the distance. As the dust settled a glint of light appeared where the figure was.

The glint started moving shortly after, building up sand a dust behind it. It was traveling closer to the group. Everyone stood, waiting to see what it was that was coming closer to them. The sound of an engine filled the air. As it got closer the shine on it faded revealing a bus. As the bus got closer there were other shadowy figures strapped to it. On its side and on its hood. The bus blazed through the obstacles. Rocks and dust were being kicked up in the air. The foul odor of gasoline filled the air as the bus came to a screeching stopped. It was a mess. The sides were covered in barbwire with chunks of meat hanging. Bars were on the window and a ram with a crudely drawn face on it. In the teeth of the ram was the figure. It was a person or at least it was. It was all dried out but it was still moving. Its eye sockets were hallow and empty, void of life and reason. It gave a low moan as it groped at the sky towards the group. "Oh my god what the hell is that thing?" Jane screamed out in horror. Everyone gazed at the creature with fright. Out of the bus came a cloak figure. Wrapped in garment and rags the figure jumped down and waved at them. "Ahoy there!" the figure shouted as they waved their arm. Removing the rag on their head, revealing bright orange bushy hair; the figure started to walk closer towards the group. The figure removed their goggles revealing an eye patch. Taking off the scarff they had on them they should the rest of the figure. It was a young girl, probably around the age of 17. She had belts all across her chest with pistols and pouches. The creature next to her moaned once more and without hesitation the girl pulled out a pistol and shot the creature in the head. The creature slumped down but was still moving. "Silence! I was talking!" she said as she turned back to the group. "Sorry about that. Marmalights, rude creatures. I'm Nyssia." She said as she held out her hand. The group was puzzled by her actions and her appearance. Jane looked like she was on the verge of passing out. What shocked the group even more and it wasn't long before Nyssia discovered as well, was that Tannin and Nyssia looked strangely alike. Everyone then turned to Tannin and then to Nyssia. Tannin stood stunned. "Holy shit I got a twin!" Nyssia said as she eagerly climbed on top of the elevator. She got close to Tannin and gazed. Io, Samantha and Jane stood back, comparing the two. "This is very uncanny." Samantha said. "Hold on!" Nyssia said as she let down her hair. The bright orange hair fell and the two look identical. "I never had a sister before! This is going to be fun!" Nyssia said with a childish grin on her face. Tannin had a dumbfounded look upon her face. "I don't think Tannin has a sister." Io said as her head switched back in forth between the two. "No…I don't." Tannin replied. Nyssia giggled to herself as she jumped down from the elevator. "Come on, I got to show you Busbus." She said as she moved towards her bus, motioning her arm for Tannin to follow her. Nyssia picked up her pieces of cloth and rags and went back inside the bus. The group looked at each other. Confused and dazed since the beginning of the encounter. Tannin started jumped down and moved towards the bus. Io followed then Samantha and finally Jane. As they got closer to the bus, the side doors swung open and the dust on the side blew into their faces. Nyssia was there sitting at the driver's seat with that grin on her face again. "Come, come!" she said as she got up and headed to the back. Inside the bus were bus seats that were torn up and shredded with stuffing and foam falling out. In the back sat a refrigerator. Up top were chests and ammo boxes. Bullet belts dangled from the top. Dust and dirt covered the floor. "Welcome to Busbus! My home and my traveling companion!" Nyssia said as she stood in the back. "Come now sit, you must be tired from all that heat. Any of you want a drink?" She said as she turned to open the fridge. Io turned to Tannin and whispered, "This one's cuckoo." She said as she twirled her finger around in the air. "Perhaps, but I think she could help." Whispered Samantha. "Wait how?" questioned Io. "We still need to get back to the city and get the other synthetic crystals. You know, the one that they got powering the whole building? For all we know we probably time jumped and this is the future." Samantha whispered. "You mean this could be the potential result of the experiments of Doctor Bronsworth?" Jane said as she joined in. "Wait, how you know?" Io asked as everyone seemed to be huddling around each other at this point. "I worked for him. I was personally overseeing the progresses of the crystals and writing down the results of the experiments." "Okay but we still need to get back to that point and fix this mess. And I think she can help." Samantha commented. "Help with what?" Nyssia said. The group looked down and there she was lying under their feet staring up at them. "You guys having a secret meeting or what?" With that the rest of the group jumped back. Surprised that they didn't notice her sneaking up on them like that, they wheeled back and landed in the seats of the bus.

"So you guys need my help with some magical time thingy device mac dopy dope?" Nyssia said as she cracked open a glass bottle using the window seal. Samantha was the first to get up from her seat. "Uh, yes I would like to employ the services of this machine of yours." Nyssia turned her head in confusion. "Busbus?" "Uh yes, Busbus." The warped look of confusion was plastered all over her face. Then with a look of concern she questioned, "Will Busbus be okay?" She said as she took a drink out of the bottle. "I'm sure Busbus will be fine." Samantha said with confidence. Though she was unsure herself, if the vehicle would survive the initial shock of the crystal, though the elevator seemed to have survived. "Okay!" Nyssia said as she put her bottle down and ran to the driver's seat. Rummaging under the seat she pulled out a blue bus cap and placed it on her head. "Destination captain blonde?" she said with a cheerful look on her face as if she was a kid at a candy store. "Uh wait. I think we are getting ahead of ourselves. We still need to incorporate the crystal into your bu-. Uh into Busbus." Nyssia gave her the thousand yard stare again. Her head slightly titled and she slumped down into her seat, still staring at her. "Huh?" Confused again as ever. "Nyssia. What she means is that she needs to attach the crystal to Busbus so Busbus can aid us in our goal." Tannin explained to Nyssia, who then turned her head to Tannin and gave a slight nod. "okay." She said in a very dry tone. "Wait, where's the marmalight?" She said as she swung her head around looking out of the windshield. The marmalight was no longer there. The moaning had cease. And then it picked up again right next to the door. The marmalight had walked through the open door of the bus and started to crawl up the stairs. Its bony hands reached out and grab the railing and pulled itself up. Tannin panicked and headed for the back of the bus. A loud sound the ringed in the ears of everyone inside the bus came along with the smell of sulfur and dust. Nyssia had pulled out a small shotgun and blew the marmalight away with it. Its body was caste out of the bus. A shot ripped through its torso and took its right arm off. The creature hit the ground and rolled onto its back. Its arm flew into the air and landed behind it. Nyssia closed the doors of the bus. "Silly me I forgot to close the doors." She said as she put her shotgun back behind her seat. The gun was still smoking, and the ears were still ringing. Samantha sat stiff in her seat, clutching the seat in front of her gritting her teeth in pain. Tannin was in the back, kneeling down with her hands on her head. Jane was on the floor of her seat with her eyes shut tight. Io just sat there, staring at everyone. Though she seemed unaffected by the events, her heart was racing and perspiration was trickling down her neck. "I hate guns." She whispered to herself. The creature now outside the bus, did not move anymore. It lied there on the ground, motionless. Samantha shook off the initial shock and walked over to the front of the bus. Nyssia looked up at her. "Uh I need to work on Busbus from here. Do you have any tools or an instruction manual for this?" Nyssia look at her and stayed silent. She tossed her eyes around as if deep in thought. Suddenly her eyes opened wide. "Oh a manual! Sure I got one of those things." She said as she reached down and pulled up a shoe box and opened it. Inside was little tiny crafted people. And behind the crafted shapes was a ripped up book. Nyssia sifted through the paper people and pulled out the book. "Here you go. Manual." She said with a smile on her face. She then proceed to take some extra sheets of the book and started to make more little people. Samantha look at the manual with shock and disappointment on her face. She looked as if she was about to cry. She look back at Nyssia who was licking the paper and folding it. Suddenly stopping mid lick and stared at her with her tongue out. "Yes?" she said with her tongue still out. Meanwhile in the back Tannin slowly made her way to the back and sat down and rested her head against the window. Io was peeking over and looking at Jane who was still on the ground with her hands covering her ears. "Hey Doc, you okay down there?" She asked as Jane suddenly opened her eyes to see Io looking down on her from behind the seat. She immediately sat back up and adjusted her hair saying, "Yes I'm fine. I just don't like loud noises." She said as she dusted her coat off. There was a small yelp from the front of the bus as Samantha wedged herself into the driver's seat and pushing Nyssia off. Her little paper people scattered across the floor. She yelped again as she gathered them up and placed them back in her little box, then proceed to sit on the floor and continue her work. Samantha started to pull apart the control panel on the left side of the driver's seat. Nyssia once again gave a yelp as Samantha started to pull wires out of the panel. "What do you think they are doing up there?" Io asked Jane as they both watched. Nyssia tried to move towards Samantha in a panic making more incoherent noises. More talk was being passed back and forth between the two. Finally Nyssia slumped down on the floor and continued with her paper people.

Io turned around and saw Tannin sleeping soundly. A faint snore could be heard escaping her mouth as she drifted off to dreamland. "You like her don't you?" Jane said to Io. Io turned around to Jane. "WH-what? No. I'm just making sure she's all right."

"She reminds you of someone, doesn't she? Your friend perhaps?" Io then slumped down into her seat. "A bit yeah. When I was in high school there was this weird kid. All schools had a weird kid. And she was really nice. We hung out a lot. Shared stories, played games. But she had problems with some of the other brats too. It was lunch time and she got up to get something out of her locker. That's when they came. I noticed she was being followed so I tailed behind. They had her cornered. She was crying. Something in me snapped and I ran up to the ring leader and knocked his teeth out. He fell pretty hard but I didn't stop there. I grabbed him by his hair and continued to punch him until the school's security came and took me away. My parents got called in. They were already fighting about stuff but this was knocked everything out of place. The fights between them grew more and more intense. One night I decided to leave. I didn't get more than a few blocks before a policeman spotted me and brought me back home. Then things out way out of control. They split after that." Io then laid down on her back and curled up in a ball with her back towards Jane. "I'm sorry." Jane commented. "Yeah, yeah. Everyone's sorry. Doesn't change what happened."

"What about your friend?" Jane asked. "I don't know. She wasn't around anymore after that." Io sighed and closed her eyes.

Meanwhile in the front of the bus, Samantha was digging around underneath the steering wheel. "What the hell is all of this crap?" she yelled out as she pulled out random pieces out from under the wheel. Nyssia perked her head back up. "That's a rubber band. Along with some old chewing gum and a few paper clips all twined together." Samantha bogged out her eyes in shock and dismay. She started pulling everything out. Nyssia started to freak out again as she got up. "No! What are you doing to Busbus?" "I'm giving Busbus a cleaning job. How can this thing function properly with all this gunk in the way?" Samantha blared out as she began to reach into her back and pull out several tools. Nyssia stood there, surprised at the scene with her hands rummaging through her hair in frustration. "But, but, but Busbus!" In an instant Samantha turned to Nyssia, grabbing an empty bottle and with a roar threw it at Nyssia missing her head and shattering behind her. Samantha then turned back to the control panel and continued her work. Nyssia slowly walked backwards and sat in the back of the bus across from Jane. "Hey doc, I think she's a werewolf." Nyssia whispered to Jane. Jane rolled her eyes and rub her forehead. "I'm sorry but please don't fill my head with this nonsense. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that magic exists. I don't want to think of other possible entities existing that could potentially endanger the rest of us." Nyssia just sat in her seat and nodded. Samantha continued her work in silence at the front of the bus while everyone sat in the back.

Night finally fell after a few more hours of sitting. The air outside picked up. Sand and dust scrapped across the windows of the bus. The area began to get cold. Nyssia flopped onto her feet and crawled on her hands and feet to the back of the bus and dug through an open chest near the refrigerator. Pulling out a metal waste basket, she placed it in the walkway and starting to build a fire. There was a glow on her face as she gathered up her army of paper people and one by one tossed them into the fire. "AH! No please don't hurt me! Silence! You have committed treason and now you must be sacrificed to the Queen of Darkness. No! I don't want my soul to be eternally damned. Too late for apologies. AH!" Nyssia said as she lowered more and more paper people into the waste bin. Jane was still awake, trying to ignore Nyssia's childish antics. "The Queen of darkness and shadow accepts your offering. AH HA!" She said with a look on her face of pure joy and entertainment. This little light show caused a stir in the back of the bus. Tannin rolled over and sat up to witness Nyssia continued her little puppet show. "Ah, come to join me in this ceremony sister?" Nyssia said as she perked her head up and stared at Tannin. "Uh, sure." Tannin replied as she scooted herself off the seat and sat down with her back to the refrigerator. "Does it always get this cold at night?"

"Oh yes. That is why we build a fire here." Nyssia now no longer throwing one paper person in at a time has started to toss handfuls into the fire. "What were you saying about a queen?" Tannin asked without looking at Nyssia. "Ah yes. The Queen of darkness. It's an old legends where I'm from. The story goes there was once a kingdom of nightmarish creatures that stretched far beyond the horizon. Not sure how long but that's what you get when you don't write shit done. Burn the heretics!" Nyssia said as she dumped the whole box into the fire and giggled to herself as the fire grew. "Anyway back to the story. Among them was a queen who ruled over this land of darkness and shadow. A resistance was formed and they stormed the castle." Nyssia stood up and started to swing her arms as if she was fighting. "Bam! Slash! It was a bloody battle. POW! Blood and gore went everywhere! Until it came down to one person vs the queen. It was a tough battle. It lasted for days and nights until suddenly the queen was stabbed in the back and her evil heart was chopped into sirloin stake and given to the hunger villagers below. And thus the days of old and shadow disappeared as a new age came about and blah, blah, blah. Boring peace and all." Nyssia slumped down and started to warm her hands over the fire. Tannin stared at her and gave her a grin. "So where are you from?" Tannin questioned with her arms folded. "Oh I'm from a small encampment. My father was head of the tribe of bandits. We would roam around the wastelands. Raiding people and stealing their stuff and also setting things on fire. That was the best." She said with a smile on her face. Tannin gave a slight chuckle to herself. "I'm guessing that is where you got that missing eye from." Tannin said as she pointed to her eye. "This? Oh no. That was completely my fault. Hehe, I set off a bomb right next to me. Shrapnel tore my eye. Can't see a damn thing out of it." Nyssia said as she removed her eye patch revealing a smooth white eyeball. "So where are we?" asked Tannin. "Oh I have no idea. I just remember waking up here with Busbus a long time ago. As far as I can tell there is nothing out here. Good thing though. Never get the need to eat or drink or even go to the bathroom." Nyssia said as she smiled at Tannin. Tannin returned the smile and rested her head against the refrigerator. The wind whispered across the night sky. The bus creaked and moaned. Nyssia poke her head up. "That's not good." She said as she grabbed a blanket and quickly doused the flames. The smell of smoke filled the air. She then got up and went over to Samantha who was still working on the control panel. Without hesitation Nyssia flipped the switch that was right next to the control panel and shut off the lights. "Hey! I was working! I need that." Samantha barked at Nyssia who was still looking up. "Take a break blonde. We got company." Nyssia declared as she reached back behind the seat and pulled out her shotgun. With lighting speed she empty out the shotgun and pulled several more shells from her pocket. "Stay here and stay quiet." Nyssia then ran to the back of the bus. "You guys stay low and stay quiet." Nyssia said as she got down next to the window, only to slightly look above it while keeping her head down. The moaning grew louder.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Round Two

From outside of the bus, everything seemed calm. Samantha got up from the driver's seat to try to see what Nyssia was talking about. The bus creaked once more. Nyssia turned to Samantha. "Blonde! Get down now!"

Huge dark grey clouds appeared from above. Purple lightning can be seen inside. Striking the ground beyond. The rolling thunder breaking the ever silence of the night. Suddenly from the center, it opened up and a bright white light suddenly appeared from the sky. It came down in a whirling frenzy. Howling and screams can be heard from it. Spiraling, little white images flew from the light. They flew all around the area. Samantha's eyes grew wide with fear as she ducked and hide herself. Io and Jane stood back and watched as more of these specters of light flew across the area. Fear was clearly written on their faces as they continued to watch the events occurring in front of them in silence. Their moans and screams echoed through the land as they flew across the night sky. "What are those things?" Tannin asked as she moved closer to the window. She approached the window slowly, but still was terrified. A beat of sweat dripped down from Io's head as she stood back. Jane had her mouth hanging wide open and was slowly crouching on the floor, unable to move or to speak. Nyssia continued to watch and without turning her head she replied, "Ah! Those poor bastards. They are wandering souls. Ghosts lost between worlds. But fuck them. If they get close to you they would suck your soul out faster than a two dollar hooker at the red light district. Once that happens, you'll become a walking corpuses." Tannin remained quiet and slowly turned her head towards the flying specters. They were now flying closer and closer towards the bus. "That's bad. That's bad, bad." Nyssia said as she got up and rushed towards the front of the bus. Removing a small cylinder with two metal triangles inside, Nyssia got into the driver's seat. "I'd advise you all to get in your seat and please put your seatbelts on." Nyssia said as she strapped herself in. The rest of the group panicked for a bit as they scurried their way to their seats, frantically searching for a seatbelt. But there were none to be found. 'What the hell!? There are no seat belts!" Samantha yelled out in frustration as she continued to search. "I know." Nyssia said as the bus lit up. The engine roared and without hesitation, Nyssia slammed her foot on the gas pedal. The bus flew into action.

The specters howling grew louder as the bus took off. From inside, Samantha could see the ghosts flying closer to the bus at an incredible speed. One even so got so close to the window that Samantha could see the eyes of the specter and watch it as it reached out its skinny boney arms towards her. Sounds of rocks being smashed can be heard coming from in front of the bus. The bus rocked and shake as it rolled over craters and pot holes in the ground. Back and forth the bus went as it drove. Faster and faster. Into the darkness they drove.

Behind them the white tornado suddenly sprouted huge hands that clawed into the ground. A gigantic white silhouette of a person crawled its way out of the white tornado. Its eyes were glowing with blue fire with a monocle hanging from one eye and its claws reached out even further and pulled itself out of the white void. The creature revealed itself with every pull. It was a large specter with floating white bony hands. Its teeth were jagged and protruding from its mouth. And resting on top of its head was a white top hat. With a loud moan it cried out, "You're not supposed to be here!" And from its open mouth poured more ghosts that now flooded the ground and sped towards the speeding bus. The bus continued on. Nyssia had a look on her face of pure enjoyment. Samantha fell off her seat and rolled on the floor. She was now on the ground. Her tools scattered across the floor. Some went under the seats while the others flew towards the front of the bus. Tannin was in the back holding on for dear life. Jane was on the floor as well, absolutely terrified by the scene. Io stood in her seat and watched the show all around her. Samantha then saw the glass cylinder rolled towards her. She grabbed it. Opening it up, she attached her crystal inside and sealed the top. Wires were already connected to the control panel of the bus. Tannin sat in the back, clutching to the seat in front of her. She stared at the floor with a sour look on her face. Io turned around to the sounds of moaning coming from the back. "Hey Blu. You okay back there?" Io questioned as she move towards Tannin. Jane popped her head up from behind the seat. "Oh god has she been touched!? Is she turning!? Jane said frantically. This brought the attention of Samantha. Tannin remained quiet as the bus continued to shake back and forth. "Don't go near her!" shouted Samantha as she laying on the floor. Io approached Tannin. Her eyes were sunken in, drool was dripping out of her mouth. Her eyes then turned towards Io and with a single breath spoke, "I don't feel so good." And with that Io's eyes open wide with realization. In a single motion Tannin vomited on Io. Tannin then slumped to the ground and curled up into a ball. "I don't like bumpy car rides." She said as she coughed up phlegm. Io stood there. Staring at Tannin. Speechless at the scene she tore her shirt off and wipe the vomit from her pants. Flicking the gunk out of her hair she walked over to Tannin and sat next to her. "You need a bucket?" All that was heard was a slight moan. "How about a towel?" A different moan came out, this time at a higher pitch.

The bus shook once again, only this time more violently than before. Outside the spirits were on the edge of the bus catching up. Nyssia was driving on a straight path as there was nothing in front obstructing her. Her foot was all the way down on the gas pedal. Her arms were stiffed with anticipation. Looking out every now and then in the mirror she grit her teeth as she drove into the night. The gigantic white hand reached closer and closer every second. Pulling itself closer and closer, more and more spirits started to surround the bus. "Oh shitballs!" Nyssia said as she violently jerked the wheel of the bus. In that moment a large spike shot from the ground, obstructing their path. Everyone was tossed in the bus. Suddenly a blue light emerged from Nyssia inside the bus. The glass cylinder that Samantha had started to glow. A low whirling sound emitted from the cylinder as the two pieces of petal started to spin inside. The pitched started to increase as the metal pieces spun faster and faster. Samantha's heart was racing with excitement. The blue light suddenly became white and got brighter and brighter. The light became so bright that Samantha closed her eyes and turned away from the cylinder. In the back Io was with Tannin trying to get her to sit up probably. Jane was more fascinated with the specters outside the bus who were now within an arm's length from the window. Their faces were all twisted and their bodies were mangled. Opening their dislocated jaws and howling at the moving bus put everyone on edge.

"The contract must be fulfilled." The giant specter said in a low voice. Its words echoed through the bus and sent shivers down Jane's spine as she jumped away from the window. "Please inform me with reassurance that we have a plan to escape eternal doom?" Jane said as she stood away from the window, not breaking eye contact on the ghost floating outside. The cylinder in Samantha's hand was now buzzing and vibrating. Its glow separated the front of the bus from the back. Tannin, Io and Jane could not see Samantha nor Nyssia. "Please tell me this is going to work?" Jane pleaded with whomever was listening.

Then the buzzing sound disappeared. The light was still white and brighter than ever but silence filled the air. The howling of the specters outside ceased but they were still visible. Everyone in the back of the bus took notice of this. Then something incredible happened. The little paper people that Nyssia had made started to float. They hovered for a bit on the ground then suddenly floated to eyelevel. Jane's hair stood on end as she watched other pieces of trash float across her field of vision. Tannin and Io sat back in silence as they watched. An empty bottle floated pass them as they watched the last drop of syrupy cola drip out and float to the ceiling. Io tried to speak but no words came out. Tannin reached out and tapped the bottle with her finger. The bottle changed direction and speed and proceed with its new course as it floated towards the center of the bus. The light was still bright in the center of the bus and a low scream could slowly be heard from it. Then a bang and everything that was in the air quickly fell to the floor. The buzzing was as loud as before and the screaming came from Samantha who was at the center of the light. "Keep going!" She screamed. Another voice was heard from the other side of the bus, it could only be assumed it was Nyssia. Then a blue dome shot out of the center of light. Silence once again filled the entire area. The tiny objects on the floor started to float again. Tannin could see the bottle again pass her by but this time the bottle was in pieces. The air around them started to get lighter and lighter. Io leaned over as if she was having a hard time breathing. Suddenly All three started to float in the air themselves. Jane Opened her mouth as if to scream but nothing came out. Io went into the air with Tannin holding on to her. Io's eyes started to bug out as she floated with her mouth open. Jane had her eyes shut but her mouth was hung open as well as though she was gasping for air. Tannin remained calm, still holding onto Io. The light at the center suddenly burst. A loud explosion ringed throughout the bus and then a crashing sound. The bus came to a screeching halt.

Everyone flew to the front of the bus, crashed into Samantha and landed next to Nyssia. Jane burst from the crowd of people gasping for air. Io immediacy followed. The doors of the bus suddenly opened. "Alright folks." Nyssia said as she leaned back staring up at the ceiling. "Let's all take a five minute break." She giggled to herself as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The cool refreshing air rushed into the bus and though at first the group reared back in horror they suddenly realized that the ghosts that were once surrounding the bus had vanished without a trace. In front of them was a large brick wall and a sidewalk with a bench on it. Io rushed out of the bus and looked around. They were in front of a building. It was night time and the stars could be seen. The sounds of sirens could be heard off in the distance and the smell of gasoline and motor oil waft its way into the bus. Sounds of screaming and panic could be heard as well. The street light above started to flicker on and off. Io sat down with relief on the bench. They were back. One by one they slowly walked out of the bus and sat on the bench and when there was no more room on the bench they sat on the cold sidewalk. For some time they sat there in silence, all relived and still pondering at what exactly happened. Suddenly Nyssia broke the silence. "Holy shit waffles! That was awesome!" She said as she stood up. She stood up too fast though and spun around. She was still somewhat light headed and dizzy. She spun for a bit and grabbed hold of the street light pole that was next to them. She spun around that a few times and slowly sat back down.

"Yo, Sam. What the hell was that?" Io asked as she turned to Samantha, whom was still lying on her back on the ground with her eyes closed. Samantha opened her eyes and look towards Io and said, "A temporal cascade." She took another deep breath. "The energy emitted from the crystal had created a slight riff in space and time that allowed us to pass through and return to our correct point in space and time." Io blinked a few times. "Okay blonde, let's try this again but in English."

"She's saying that she turned the bus into a time machine." Tannin said as she stood up herself. "Excuse me? A time machine? Very science fiction wouldn't you say?" Jane said as she sat on the bench. "You mean to tell me that not only magic exists and ghosts but also time traveling?" Jane said as she got up from the bench. "What's next? Vampires? Werewolves? Space aliens?" Jane said. Just then a blue light streaked across the sky. Jane stood there silently as she witness more blue lights arched across the night sky. "Oh please forget I said that." Jane said as she sat back down, rubbing her forehead with her hand. "Technically, I'm not sure if we even time traveled." Samantha paused again and took another deep breath. "Considering the lack of air inside the vehicle during our jump, I'd say we were in another dimension. Otherwise there shouldn't have been a lack of air unless we were in an area without air." Everyone just stared blankly at Samantha for a moment. Suddenly the sound of sirens echoed through the streets and flashing lights were seen in the distance, getting bigger and bigger. "Shit, this is bad." Io said as she stood towards the flashing lights. "I'd give it about 45 seconds before they get here." Tannin said. "AH! I don't want to go back to the jail!" Samantha said as she started to panic. "Jail? You're wanted criminals!?" Jane shouted as the cars were getting closer. In a moment of desperation Io turned towards Nyssia. "Hey. Uh there are some bad people coming here and do you have anything that can stop them?" Io said with uneasiness in her voice. She had no idea what to expect from Nyssia but she was the only one who didn't seem to worry that the police were on their way. Nyssia turned towards Io with a grin on her face. "I got a boom boom stick." She replied and immediately jump to her feet and ran over to the bus. With a quick bang on the side she unlocked a storage compartment and pulled out a long metal tube. The words 'boom boom stick' were written on the side in white chalk and the grin never left her face. By this time the police were in view. Nyssia grabbed her boom boom stick and aimed it at the police. Without hesitation or other words she squeezed the handle. What happened next could only be described as chaos. The tube released a pile of smoke that covered everyone behind Nyssia. A small rocket was launched out of the tube and traveled down the street, leaving a trail of smoke behind it. Upon impact the police car exploded. A scene of pure carnage lit up the street as the wreck vehicle continue to move. It veered off the road and crashed into the building next to it. Smoke and debris littered the area as half the wall crumbled on top of the destroyed car. Nyssia burst out into laughter as she started to jump up and down. She clearly was enjoying this moment. Meanwhile behind her, everyone gazed at the scene with horror on their face. They did not expect something like this to happen. They honestly didn't know what to expect. But this is what happened. "Was that a rocket launcher?" Io shouted. Jane eyes slowly rolled as she turned to Io and said, "No, it was clearly a lollipop."

Fires started to build up inside the building as Nyssia's laughter continued. She started saying "Boom boom! Boom boom!" The silence was broken behind Nyssia by Jane. "You're absolutely mad." Everyone turned towards Jane as if she just activated a time bomb in front of them. Nyssia turned back towards Jane with the same grin on her face. Everyone else was still staring at Jane. "You say that like it's a bad thing." Nyssia said as she continued to giggle. She then turned to watch the fires continue to burn. As she continue to stare into the burning flames, Io was drawn back by Samantha and Tannin. Io was still in a state of speechlessness. "This actually might be a good thing." Tannin said. Both Samantha and Io turned to her and stared with their mouth hung open. "How!?" Samantha spitted out in frustration. "Think about it. How many other guys were there in that building armed to the teeth?" The two were left in silence for a brief moment. "Don't tell me you plan to go back and unleash that animal into the building?" Jane said as she entered the group circle. "If you are looking for something to distract and murder the guards then sure yes. But who's to say she won't get out of hand?" Jane said as she turned towards Nyssia who was now dancing around the fires. Picking up flaming pieces of debris and was now throwing them around the street, spreading the fires.

"She has a good point." Samantha interjected as she too was witnessing the destruction Nyssia had committed. "Do we have a choice? I mean. Unless you want to go back and try the same thing again and get caught?" Tannin said as she folded her arms. All four of them knew what their chances were. And as they stood there in silence they were only comforted with the sounds of laughter and the crackling sound of the fire as it burns through the buildings. "Wait, wait, wait!" Jane said as she waved her hands. "Why should I join you? I mean the only reason why I am even here is because you kidnapped me in the elevator." Samantha, Tannin and Io stood silently. "Okay, here is the thing." Samantha said as she pulled out the schematics she had in her bag. "Look. Bronsworth has built himself a synthetic crystal. A replica of my own. This original piece was unstable in the reactors he had built for it." "Ah, yes the test results proved to show an unusual rate of change and unpredictability." Jane said. "So! He's trying this again with a fake crystal, which is causing those blue streaks in the sky. This is bad. We have to shut off the reactor and remove and hopefully destroy the crystal." Samantha said as she paused afterwards to take another deep breath. "If the reactor would remain in operation it will create a chain reaction which can destroy the whole city and possibly more. It may even open a door to another world. Remember those specters you saw floating outside the buys. Imagine a whole city full of them." Jane stood in silence. Pondering the possibilities. A look of fascination grew on her face but was suddenly wipe clean from her face. "Alright. I'll help. The reactor is highly radioactive though. You'd have to go inside the reactor to remove the crystal if we cannot shut it off by the control panel next to the mainframe computer." With that said Jane walked towards the bus. "I do hope someone has a plan before we get ourselves killed." And with that Jane walks into the bus and sits in the seat in the front.

Samantha pulled out her pocket watch to check the time. As she closed it she look at them and said, "Round two?" With a simple nod, Io followed Samantha into the bus. Tannin walked over to Nyssia, who was still wearing the same smile on her face as she had before. "Say Nyssia. We need to get going right now. We got something important that we need your help with." Nyssia turned to Tannin, tossing the self-made torch on the ground. "Sure! Anything for family." She said as she skipped towards the bus and hopped inside. Tannin stood in the street alone. Not knowing what to do next. Suddenly the sound of sirens filled the area. And off in the distance more flashing red and blue lights. The smoke from the fires filled the night sky, alerting everyone to its presence. All eyes were now on them.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

The roar of the engine filled the streets as Nyssia drove. Through unprotected roads and narrow passages the bus road, only to be followed by a serious of police cars. Sirens blazing and lights flashing, they chased down the chaotic bus as it weaved on and off the streets, running into anything that stood in its way. People were hit, street signs were knocked over and even cars parked on the side were subjected the Nyssia's driving. She wore that grin on her face again as she steered, tightening her grip with every turn and every collision. Everyone else in the back was in a state of constant worry.

"What do we do now?" Samantha shouted from the back. "This!" Nyssia said as she pulled on the cord that was hanging above her window. With a loud thumping sound the bus shook as a red rocket flew out of one of the exhaust pipes in the back of the bus and landed right in front of a car and exploded. The smell of Sulphur and ash filled the air. The car spun out of control and crashed into a street lamp. Sparks flew from the busted lamp as it fell over, ripping apart as it crashed in the ground in a spectacular light show of red and blue and yellow. The crowed outside look in horror as many dodge out of the way of the speeding bus. Screams could be heard from outside. Trashcans were being smashed, cars were being sideswiped and smashed. Broken shards of glass could be seen flying through the air from the back of the bus. A few unfortunate pedestrians were hit. Their blood splattered the windshield. Nyssia just smiled and turn on the windshield wipers.

"Not like that!" Samantha called back. "Can we please not go about without killing innocent people?" Jane proclaimed from the back of the bus. "You have any better ideas?" Tannin said. "I got one!" Nyssia called out from the front of the bus. Suddenly she jerked the wheel and the bus took a sharp turn, throwing everyone inside off balance. With a rumble and a shower of glass the bus ran into a department store and started to run down everything in its path. Shelves were knocked down. Merchandise flew into the air. People screamed and panic. The police cars chasing behind were on the receiving end of the merchandise that flew into the air. Some cars spun out of control and crashed into a wall while others immediately pulled over to avoid further damage or injury.

"This is intolerable!" Jane screamed out. "This is insane!" Samantha yelled out. "This is nuts." Said Io. "This is fun!" Nyssia said with a smile. "I think this is working." Tannin said as she looked back and saw the number of cars following them decrease dramatically. Falling debris continued to bombard the bus as it teared through the store. The screams were muffled by the clanking sound of shelves falling apart and the roar of the engine as it collided with everything in its way. Nyssia jerked the wheel one last time and the bus was now facing the opposite direction. Slamming her foot on the gas, the bus charge the opposition. On a much smoother path with only minor objects getting in the way, the bus hurled itself towards the remaining police force. As they stop to watch in horror the large metal death machine with the wicked painted grin on the front, they dived out of their vehicles as the bus crashed into their cars, knocking them aside and continuing on their present course. As some policemen and women took the chance to fire at the bus faint laughter could be heard as the bus made impact with the wall, creating a large hole. The scene of the current department store was horrid. Items that would have gone on sale were now scattered on the ground broken. Pieces of debris from the wall were now everywhere. Unfortunate bystanders who were hit either by the bus or by the merchandise laid in pain on the ground. As one policeman reported, "It is as if Hell itself had spat out its most fierce demon and let it run amok among us." The feint laughter would continue to haunt the policeman until the day he died.

Meanwhile the bus veered back onto the road at full speed, continuously knocking everything in its path. "Okay! Where to?" Nyssia said as she continued in a straight path, ignoring stop signs, pedestrians and red lights along the way. Cars would honk at her as she side swiped them or almost hit them. Samantha sat, stunned at what just happened but then soon shake herself out of the state and check her watch. "Uhh..I don't know actually." Tannin got up from her seat and with an unstable stomach held back, she made her way to the front of the bus. As Tannin directed Nyssia where to go when suddenly the radio turned on. "Oh! This never worked before." Nyssia said as she hum to the tune of an unknown song as she drove. Samantha sat in her seat, continuously checking her watch and writing notes in her books. Jane sat next to Io while breathing heavily. "Oh lord this is starting to be too much." "Ah come on doc. I'm sure things will be fine." Io sat as she patted Jane on the back a bit too hard. "But what if we get caught? What if we get shot? What if I get fired?" Jane said frantically. "Geeze doc, you think about things way too much. Also you may need to work on your priorities."

Jane sat in her seat, breathing heavily, staring at the back seat in front of her. Io look at her with a level of concern. "Hey, don't worry. Just stick in the back or on the bus and you'll be fine."

Jane chuckled to herself. "Oh yeah sure. Stay here on the deathship." Jane said as she waved her hand in a circle motion. "Driving by a maniac from an uncharted land that be unknown to not only us but to all of mankind. Seriously! We don't know where we were. She could be a monster or…or a werewolf or something." "Nah, she's not a monster. She's just a kid." Io said as she leaned back and stared down the way to the front of the bus. Tannin was still up in front, wrapping her arm around her stomach every few seconds Nyssia jerked the wheel. Samantha was up in the front seat, frantically writing in her journal and constantly checking her watch. Suddenly a loud yell came from the front of the bus.

"No! Not there!" It was Tannin and as soon as she said those words she dove to the ground as the bus crashed through a pair of front doors. Glass sprayed everywhere. The doors were ripped off their hinges and tossed aside. Samantha was lunged forward only to be stopped by the metal bar at the front of the bus. Her books and papers flooded the steps of the bus. Meanwhile in the back both Jane and Io were too tossed aside. Io fell on to the floor while Jane smacked her head on the window. A small splat of blood appeared where Jane hit her head. The bus came to a screeching halt as it skidded across the white marble floor, leaving a trail of black. Tannin frantically got up and glared at Nyssia who was sitting in her seat with the same silly grin on her face.

"I said brakes! You could have at least stop in front of the building! Now everyone knows we are here!" Tannin yelled out in frustration.

"But…But that wouldn't have been fun. And besides it's a party and everyone is invited." Nyssia said as she unbuckled herself. As she got up, grabbing her ammo belt in one hand and adjusting her bus cap with the other she said, "Alright folks! End of the line." She said as she loaded in a few shells into her shotgun. Jane had a little trouble getting up as blood trailed down the side of her face. She was in a daze state and had a hard time standing. Luckily for her Io was there to aid her in getting out of her seat. Samantha wasn't feeling in the best of moods either. Her stomach ache in pain as she attempted to retrieve her papers. Footsteps could be heard outside. Suddenly gunfire opened up on them. Everyone ducked immediately to the sound of gunfire. Bullets ricochet and skidded the bus. Everyone was on the ground, everyone except for Nyssia who continued to load more guns she had lying around. She opened her glove compartment only to pull out several small pistols. Bullets were scattered everywhere. She began to hum a tune to herself as she loaded every new weapon she picked up. Then she started to count out loud.

"One….Two….Three…." Then she suddenly stopped with a look of disappointment on her face. She moved over to the window and rolled it down casually. "Excuse me! Can you please keep it down! I'm trying to count!" The firing on the bus didn't cease and this only made her frustrated. As she sat her seat, the look of disappointment slowly turn back to her old grin. With a few turns of a knob and pull of a lever next to her, the right front headlight opened up revealing a small rocket inside. Smiling as ever she pushed the big red button on her control panel. Smoke spewed from the side of the bus. The rocket flew across the lobby with aim, without direction. It struck a concert pillar. A loud explosion erupted as a bright orange light lit up the area. The shock of the blast knocked several guards to the ground. The bus itself was pushed back a bit. The concert pillar crumbled. Pieces of it fell on the grounds and shattered into a thousand smaller pieces. Dust blew into the air. Heat from the explosion could be felt from inside the bus as it graced Nyssia's face. Sparks flew as the lights began to flicker from the explosion. The guards who were left standing ceased firing as some dodge out of the way of falling debris. Some were lucky enough to get away just in time as part of the second floor had fallen to the ground. Others were trapped underneath and or crushed by large blocks of solid concert. Their moans of pain and anguish could be heard loudly. As the debris settled the remaining guards had taken positions away from the bus, hiding in the shadows, awaiting to see what's next.

The doors of the bus swung open as Nyssia stepped off the bus. Well not so much stepped off the bus. She's not some kind of graceful creature. She more likely hopped out of the bus like a rabbit would. Strapped to her chest were several grenades, a couple of pistols and a shotgun on her back. She wore her bus cap proudly. Her dead white eye still exposed and a happy grin on her face. "Alright folks! End of the line! Everybody off!" She yelled out loudly as she draw her two pistols. Everyone else on the bus was hesitant to move. Still shaken by the ricocheting bullets, and still startled by the explosion of the rocket. The smell of Sulphur and dust filled the air. The lights flickered on and off. The outside of the bus was riddled with bullets, yet none penetrated. As the rest of the ground got up and made their way to the front of the bus, a guard leaped out of the shadows and opened fired on them. Nyssia turned slightly with one of her pistols and with a single shot, the firing ceased. A new sound of moaning came as the guard fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. "What just happen?" Jane called out as she held her head with her hand. "The guy was being rude so I shot him." Nyssia said with a smile.

"Is he dead?" Samantha called out as she helped Jane off the bus. "Oh no he isn't dead. Just shot in the gut. It'll take him a good long time before he dies of that kind of wound." Nyssia then turned around and surveyed the damage. A few guards could be seen trapped under the debris. One was half way out and his lower half was being crushed. Nyssia walked up to him and shot him in the head. Blood splattered across her face as she smiled at her masterpiece of destruction. The others looked at her. But right now this wasn't anything new and yet they still looked at her with shock. "Why did you do that?" Jane called out. The others were silent in this affair. They already knew the answer but they were too scared to say anything about it. "Did you want him to stay under there? Better that he dies here and now." Tannin said as she walked up to Nyssia. Nyssia looked at her with a smile and said, "Right. What she said." Tannin reached into her bag and pulled out her tranquilizer gun. "Jane, how many guards are here and where are they located?" Tannin said as she loaded pistol with darts. "Why? You're not going kill them are you?" Jane said in terror as she picked herself up. "I don't want to have to kill them. If I can though I would much rather love to avoid a confrontation." Tannin said. Nyssia stuck her tongue out at Tannin. "Yawn! Boring!" Tannin then turned to Nyssia and with a stern look, gazed into her eyes and said, "I don't want you to kill innocent people. Only bad men who shoot at you or us. No one else." Nyssia back off a bit. Her smile turned upside down into fright. She was silent for a bit before muttering anything. "Okay…" She said as she took another step back. Tannin then walked over to Samantha. "Here, take this pistol. It has less recoil then the first one you used."

"Oh no. You're not going to pull that disappearing act on us again. Nope. Nope. Nope. We're going to stick together on this one. Can't have some random person disappear on us-". Samantha sentence was cut short due to a slight tapping on her should from Io. "Uhh, Blonde I hate to say this but Nyssia is gone." She immediately gazed around. No sign of Nyssia whatsoever. "Ah! Goddamn it!" She yelled out. "That's a real slippery fish." Io said as she put her hands on her hip. Suddenly the sound of an explosion could be heard and the building started to shake. "Oh crap." Jane said as the lights flickered on and off.

There was no time to waste looking for Nyssia. They headed to the elevator. While in, Samantha reopened the control panel and switched around a few wires. Jane looked at her with worry and discontent. "What are you doing?" She said. "Just rewiring this thing so we can get off on the right floor without any intrusions." The building shook once more. The elevator rocked a bit back and forth. It wasn't long before the doors opened up. They ran out of the door only to be encountered by a few guards who stepped out into the light and knocked Tannin in the face with the butt of their submachine gun. Tannin fell to the ground. Another guard tackled Io from behind. Io struggled with the guard for a bit before ramming him into the wall behind them. Spinning the Io around the guard pinned her to the wall. There was a single gunshot. The guard slipped to the ground. Samantha was there with the pistol on her hand and smoke leaving the barrel. She had a look on her face that read of disapproval. Another guard came from around the corner, Io stepped into his way and knocked him on his back with a single punch. Jane meanwhile made her way to the door and type in a code. The door unlocked and the rest moved in. Tannin was being helped by Io as the door behind them shut. The next room looked like a clean white room. No tables though but it was large enough it could fit a few. A few guards entered in from the front. Tannin shot one guard in the leg with her dart gun and Samantha shot the other one in the chest. Both fell over as the door behind them opened and a scream could be heard. Turning around quickly Samantha and Tannin saw two guards grabbed Jane and Io and held guns to their head. "Drop the weapon!" One guard shouted out. Io struggled a bit with the guard only to be struck in the back of the head by a third guard. In front of them another pair of guards came out, pointing their guns at the two. "Dropped the weapon now!" There wasn't much of a choice. Both of them tossed their weapons to the side and were led away in handcuffs. One of the guards went up to Samantha and grabbed her bag. She didn't resist. All of a sudden the guard tossed the bag on the ground and started to shoot at it. Samantha's eyes opened wide with fear as she saw her bag get ripped apart by bullets. "No!" she shouted out as the guard continued to fire at the bag. Papers were shredded and blew into the air. An ink bottle exploded, gushing out black ink everywhere. "Eve!" Samantha yelled out again as blue smoke puffed out of the bag and suddenly disappeared. "Eve!" She cried out as tears rolled down her face. She began to struggle with the guard in a furious rage. But was all of a sudden quiet down as she slumped.

They were led into another room on the same floor, where they were handcuffed to several pipes. The room they were in was fairly small, housing just the four of them well enough. The pipes that they were handcuffed too ran along the walls and were large enough that two hands together could fully encircle it. The room had a single light hanging from the ceiling and to the side in the corner looked to be an old worn out speaker box. In the center was a drain. The floor was tiled and it smelt of mold. Facing the wall they stood there in silence. "Should have seen that one coming." Tannin said as she let out a sigh. "Eve…" Samantha muttered to herself in a melancholy tone. "She's gone…"

"Ah come on Blonde, you don't know that." Io said. "No she is. She was a part of me. And now she's gone. I feel so empty inside. So dead." Samantha said as she hung from the pipe, not even caring about the pain in her wrists. "She was with me for a long time. After the soldiers came and killed my father she was the only one who was there for me. Now I am truly alone." Samantha said as she cried to herself. "You're wrong Samantha." Tannin said. "You got us."

"Hell yeah. Blu is right. Come on Blonde. We're here for you." Io said with a surge of confidence in her voice. Samantha didn't say anything. She just slumped there in silence. Tears rolled down her cheek and fell to the ground. After some time Samantha picked herself up, wiped away her tears and in a soft tone said, "Thank you." "You're welcome." Io said then proceed to continue to tug and pull at the pipe. The sight made Samantha laugh a bit to herself and was smiley once again. Though the pain of a lost dear friend was clear on her face, she couldn't help but smile in relief that she was surrounded by good company.

It wasn't long before the silence was broken again by a familiar cry. "Oh no I'm defiantly going to get fired now." Jane cried out. "Doc you really need to get your priorities straight." Io said as she grabbed hold of the pipe and pulled with all of her might, grunting with every tug. The sounds of Io's grunts echoed in the room. "Why do you do that? Why do you continue to struggle, when there is no hope?" Tannin said. "Cause I would rather die on my feet then to live on my knees." Io said as she continued to tug and pull on the pipe. "I wonder what that wizzball of a child is up to." Io said. "Who?" Asked Jane. "Nyssia. You think she got away?"

"Oh I'm sure she is having a grand ole time. Probably having a tea party somewhere." Io said as she stopped for a moment, took a breath and continued to tug on the pipe. "Hey Jane. You worked here. What is this place used for anyway?" Tannin asked. "Delousing animals." She said. Samantha face turn to disgust as she looked down to notice her shoes were greasy. "Eww." She said. Silence once again crept over as they waited for the return of the guards or Bronsworth or someone. The building shook once again and suddenly the lights switched off in the room. "Well we now that she's defiantly alive and having a real blast." Io said. "I don't think that was Nyssia." Samantha replied as she looked up only to be met with water spraying down from the fire sprinkler system. "Well I don't think this can get any worse." Jane said

Suddenly, from the old dusty speaker, a familiar voice was heard. "Testing…..testing…three, four, nine, six, twelve. Good evening everybody! This is Nyssia Tannin reporting live from the central hub station here on the 74th floor. It is my honor to invite everyone to the reactor room, where we have ourselves a special party waiting for everyone! Act now and do not delay." The mic was still on as another conversation in the background could be heard. "Hey you're not supposed to be in here." "And you're not supposed to be dead." Nyssia called out as gunfire could be heard from the speaker. "Sorry about that. Now come on one and all, for the party is about to begin. Over and out!"

"Oh I so called it!" Io said as she tugged on the pipe again. Suddenly the pipe broke off the wall as Io was flung back and landed right next to Tannin who was just as surprised to see her as she was. "Hey look at that! I got it!" Io said with a cheerful look on her face. Sliding the handcuffs off of the pipe there was still the probably of being handcuffed. Io ignored that problem as she was sure a solution would probably come about later. Grabbing the other pipes and tugging once more she freed the rest of her companions. As they gathered themselves the water suddenly stopped from the sprinkler. They opened the door which was surprisingly unlocked to begin with and proceeded to the 74th floor.

Outside the room, the lobby was a mess. Fires were raging. Pieces of the ceiling had collapse. Blood was spilled all over the place. Bodies were laying on the ground. Sparks spewed to the floor and disappeared. The elevator outside had collapse. The doors to the elevator looked like they were aged a thousand years. "Where to now?" Jane called out. "We go up." Tannin said as she pointed inside the elevator. "But it's ruined. It can't possible work." Samantha said as she looked inside the elevator shaft. "That's why we use the ladder." Tannin said as she pointed to the ladder hanging on the side. "Oh great. Physical activity." Jane said with a sigh. Jane went first in climbing up the ladder, as the others were worried that if she fell, she would be caught by Io who followed behind her. Next was Samantha who wasn't fairly physical but kept up with the pace. Last was Tannin who kept watching around in case of unwanted intruders. After finally climbing up the ladder for a few floors they finally reached the top. Jane instructed them as to where the reactor room was as it was not on the floor they originally thought. Down the hall and through a pile of rubble and fire they finally found their way to the reactor room. It was originally supposed to be sealed off with several steel bars that ran across the two large metal doors. Protected by a computer with a passcode system that changed every twelve hours as well as a fingerprint identification key grid system it would have been difficult to crack, that is if someone didn't take a few explosives to it and sliced the hand off a guard to open the finger print identification key grid.

"Oh lord." Jane said as she rubbed her head with her hand in frustration. It was obvious that the whole situation was getting a bit stressful for her. As soon as Jane stepped through the door she was quickly greeted by a hand grabbing her arm, pulling her over to the wall and pointing a hot barrel to her temple. The sheer grin of the attacker brought fear into her eyes but suddenly a feeling of relief. "Ah! Nyssia. Good to see you again." Nyssia back off with a gun in her hand. Blood was splattered all over her. Her clothes were torn and full of holes. There was a microphone strapped to her head with black electrical tape. A communication box was strapped to her back with duct tape. And it seemed that a small part of her hair was at one point on fire as it was burnt. "Ah Jane and friends! Glad you could come to my party." Nyssia said with a glee. "Here sis, take this. It's dangerous out there. I think the marmalight has climb into our world." Nyssia said as she handed Tannin the pistol. The building shook once more. Crumbs from the ceiling fell to the ground as a blue light could be seen emitting from the next room.

In the next room was a large glass window and a control panel. The monitor in the center was displaying several numbers on a spreadsheet while on the other side there were an assortment of button and a few flashing lights. In the corner was a white metal box that read "Caution" with a symbol of a lightning bolt on it. Outside of the room through the large window, was a large grey room with large pipes running all around it. In the center there was a platform with several bridges connecting it to the room and to an emergency exit on the other side. Upon the pedestal was a bright blue shining object that occasionally shot out a blue light that ran all around the large pipes in the room. Above the pedestal was a large trident object that hung above the blue object, catching whatever cane out.

"Alright, one of these buttons has to shut down this whole thing. Whatever it is." Samantha said as she ran up to the control panel, eagerly observing all of the controls and flashing lights. "Indeed it does."

A familiar voice called out from behind as the group turned around. It was Bronsworth. He looked like he had been through hell. His coat which was clean and white to begin with had been torn and burnt. His face which was originally clean and spotless had bruises and cuts. He was bleeding in his right arm which the arm sleeve appeared as if it was ripped off by a rapid dog. In his left hand he was holding a pistol and pointing it at the group. As he walked forward he limped as if someone or something crushed it. "Very clever. Using time travel to come back. I really wished you would reconsider my offer. But as you can see. I don't need your help." Bronsworth moved forward, motioning with the pistol for everyone to move to the right near the metal box. "And now, I have succeeded in my experiment. All of the energy that could have been stored has been." He moved up to the control panel. "There is nothing you can do!" He said with a crazed look in his eye. He started to laugh manically. "And when this is all over I will kill you all!" He said as he point the gun towards the group. He looked back at the window to observe the final moments. Another blue light shot from the crystal. With another laugh he turned toward the group but was suddenly perplexed. "Weren't there five of you?"

He looked to his left just in time to see Tannin point the pistol at him and shoot him in the stomach. She stared at him coldly and fired another shot. The look of terror was written on his face as he slumped to the ground. The gun in his left hand dropped. Tannin stood silent and continued to fire at him. Grunts and moans could be heard in between gunshots. His body fell over to the ground. The firing didn't ceased until the pistol was empty. The rest of the group stared at her in terror. Never have they witness Tannin react this coldly to something. The glaze look in her eye as she watch the corpse bleed out sent shivers down Samantha's spine. Jane was left speechless. Io stood there in shock. Nyssia on the other hand was pleased with the scene as her expression didn't change throughout the entire moment. Several sparks shot out from the control panel. This was enough to break the trance that Tannin was in. "Oh no." She said as she moved over to the control panel. Samantha and Jane followed and gazed upon the control panel. From the looks of things, the control panel was shot several times. Some of the bullets that went through Bronsworth, passed through and penetrated the control panel. Jane tried frantically to work with the keyboard and the computer monitor. Unfortunately nothing seemed to work.

"I can't shut down the reactor. Radiation levels are increasing inside the reactor. We need to leave now!" Jane shouted out as she moved towards the doors. Everyone was so distracted about the danger of the situation they didn't see Tannin move over to the reactor door and walk through. It was the sound of the large door slamming shut that caused everyone to stop. Through the little window in the door Tannin grabbed a small pipe and shoved it through the handle, prevented the door from being opened from the outside.

"Tannin! No!" Jane shouted out. "You're going to die!" Tannin paused for a moment and muttered something to herself that the others couldn't hear.

The reactor shook again. Suddenly the blue crystal started to create a blue sphere around it. It started to pulse and grow bigger. Little bursts were made that engulf the small area. Tannin walked forward. The pulsing increased. As soon as the blue sphere hit Tannin she was knocked back. Parts of her clothes started to break apart. Her nails grew slightly as well as her hair. She continued to move forward. More and more energy shot out as the pulsing increased. Tannin was slowed down but continued to move forward. Grabbing onto the railing she pulled herself closer and closer towards the crystal. The rest of the group watched from the other side of the window with intensity. As Tannin reached out towards the crystal the majority of her clothes had dissolved and her hair was as along as she was. Her nails now look like claws as she moved closer to the crystal. The tattoos on her arms began to give off the same blue glow and suddenly they started to move. For a moment Tannin stopped dead in her tracks. Her arm fell beside her. Still feeling the force of the crystal she stared into the blue light. She quickly shot her arm out and moved forward eagerly. As if she was greeting an old long lost friend. Tears were trailing down her check. She was within reaching distance. She was gritting her teeth. Her hair was blowing hard behind her. As she grasps the crystal she muttered a single word and let herself get blown back from the force. She flew back a few feet and landed on the metal bridge with the crystal in hand. She wasn't moving. The reactor suddenly wind down and soon the building stopped shaking. All was quiet for a brief moment.

"Tannin!" Io shouted as she moved over to the reactor door. "No! The radiation will kill you! She's already dead!" Jane said but was quickly shoved aside by Io. Jane stumbled over to the wall and fell down, she didn't move. Io grabbed the door and pulled. She pulled and pulled. Tears were trickling down her face. Sweat was pouring from her head. "Please…" she muttered as she pulled and tugged. With one good pull she broke the door open. The pipe that was prevented Io from opening the door fell out of the handle. A bit of a relief swelled her as she moved in to the reactor room. Immediately Io was met with a terrible headache. Her whole body ache as she moved further into the room. Her vision began to get blurry. Pain could be felt in her shoulder. The tips of her fingers began to feel like they were burning. She stumbled over to Tannin's body who lay on the ground clutching the crystal in her hand. Io reached down and picked up Tannin and staggered back out of the reactor room. Her nose started to bleed. The headache became worse. The pain in her shoulder moved throughout her body. Her vision was completely blurry right now. There was a slight ringing in her ear. She fell on her knees with Tannin in her arms as soon as she made it out of the reactor. Feeling extremely sick Io laid there on the ground, Tannin's body was placed aside. Then before Io closed he eyes and passed out, a single word was heard. "Allea"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: On the Edge of Time

Pain… Lots of pain. Pain all around. The cold hard surface on her cheek. Suddenly a familiar voice, "Allea". "Who's Allea?" Io said to herself. Pain. Can't move. Suddenly a bright light entered. A bright white light and nothing else. No wait. Shadows. There were shadows moving in and out. Air. She took a deep breath. Something was behind her. Something soft. What was it? A pillow? Yes, it was a pillow. "Just relax." A voice said. "Relax?"

"You're going to be okay. Just relax." The strange voice told her. But who was it? And where was she? Io drifted off to sleep once more. The pain was finally gone as if a warm blanket of relief suddenly covered her body. That name suddenly appeared again in her sleep. "Allea". Who's Allea? And why does it matter? Questions bounced around her head as she slept. She sat in a room. She was alone. There was a single chair. The room was white and cold. It was quiet. Suddenly the room started to crumble and break. Pieces fell to the ground and a bright light shined through the gaping holes. Io stood up and went over to the wall and peek through the holes. There was a garden on the other side. In the garden was a stump in the middle. Upon the stump was a women with long golden blonde hair that blew in the wind. She was holding a harp and humming a tune. A gentle tune. A happy tune. A haunting tune. The woman stopped and turn towards Io. "Why hello there." She said as she raised her hand and suddenly the walls around Io crumbled completely. The warm sunshine hit her face and sent shivers down her spine. A gentle breeze passed by. Suddenly the chair behind Io turned into a fox and scampered away. "Ok, I get it. I'm totally dreaming." Io said to the woman on the stump. "Why yes, you are correct. But only partially." She said with a smile.

"Who are you?" asked Io. "Who am I? Well I must say for someone whose been calling my name you obviously don't know who you are really looking for." She said with a smile and continued to play her harp. "Allea. You're Allea." The woman said nothing. Only smiled. "You are not wrong and yet you are not right. I am no longer what I use to be. Time has passed greatly. I am only here now to ask something of you." "Uh yeah sure, okay." Io said sarcastically. "I'm serious. I know this may all seem very unreal. But I need you to help me. Please, protect her. She is very important to me. She is lost in your world and there is no one else who can help." Allea said as she got up from her stump and walked over to Io. "Yo! Uh. Wait. Who are you talking about? Because I don't know." Io said as she backed up to the wall that suddenly appeared behind her. "She is in great danger. And I need you to protect her. Make sure she is okay." Allea said to Io. "Please. She is all that I have left in the world. Please help an old spirit."

"An old spirit?" Just then the world around them grew dark. Yet the woman in front of Io still glowed. A blue flame appeared beside them and suddenly grew large. "I must go." Allea said. "Wait! Who do you mean by that I should protect?" Io didn't get an answer. The woman approached the large blue flame and then disappeared. "What the hell?" Io said as she then was back in the white room, sitting on the chair. "What the fuck?" Io said quietly to herself as she covered her face with her hands.

Another bright flash of light came. Then she heard giggling. "What?" She said with a stir. Lights flickered on and off. Io rolled her head back and forth trying to avoid the light that was hitting her face. "Ah I told you that would wake her." Said a familiar voice. What looked back at Io was a familiar face. This face in particular had one eye covered with a patch. Another figure came into view that took this one eye figure and sat it down on a chair. "Please mam, sit down and leave her alone."

"Io. Can you hear me?" continued the strange voice.

"Uh. Yeah." Io said in confusion, not sure if she was awake or still dreaming. "You suffered some radiation poisoning. But you should make a full recovery." "Uh Okay!" Io said as she closed her eyes.

It wasn't until a few days later that Io woke up again. She's been lying in a hospital bed for the past few days now. The pain in her body came back every now and then but it was on the decline. The doctor came back in to take her pulse. "Well I see that you are now fully awake." The doctor said as he check her vials and took her pulse. "How did I get here?" Io asked

"Well you were picked up by an emergency helicopter and flown here. And you have been in isolation for the past few days. But I think you are fine enough to have visitors. Your friends have been waiting for you outside." The doctor said as he walked off. As he closed the door Io heard what sounded like someone getting the wind knocked out of them. And then from the door came Nyssia. "Hello dear friend!" She said with a smile on her face. Samantha and Jane followed after her immediately apologizing to the poor man now lying on the floor.

"Hey. You're looking a bit better." Samantha said with a smile. "Yeah! You're not bleeding all over the floor!" Nyssia blurred out. "Uh, thanks." Io said as she sat up.

"Wait! Where is Tannin!?" Io said out loud. The smile that Samantha had on faded quickly. Jane put her head down. Nyssia stared blankly out the window. "Hey look! A squirrel! She said with a glee. "Uh yes Nyssia a squirrel. Why don't you go outside and try to find it." Jane said as she led Nyssia outside of the room and closed the door behind her. Jane let out a heavy sigh. "That kid has been on my back for the past few days. It's nice to get some peace and quiet."

"Where is Tannin?" Io said again with an aggressive tone. Samantha remained silent. "Tannin…is…Well she…She didn't make it." Samantha said as her eyes started to tear up. Samantha turned away and moved over to the corner of the room to collect herself. Io's eyes opened wide and then she stared to cry. She cried softly. Gripping the sheets. "I…tried…I…wanted to save her." Io's hands were shaken. Tears were rolling down her cheek. She grab the side of her head. "I tried…But it wasn't good enough." She started to cry loudly now. Samantha couldn't contain herself any longer and too was crying out loud. Jane remained silent. A moment later the two were silent. Samantha walked over and sat in a chair. Tears were still rolling down her face. Io rolled back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Nothing in this moment could break them out of the state of sadness they were in. It was as though they had lost an old dear friend, even though they only knew her for a few days. It still felt like a lifetime. And now it was all gone. Nothingness. Emptiness. It got to the point where the body just became numb. A few days passed and it didn't seem like the numbness would go away. Io sat in her bed all those times. Not saying a word. Doctor and nurses would come in and check up on her. She ate the food they gave her but remained silent.

Then one day she got a surprise visit from a police officer. He came in with a familiar bag in his hand. "Hello." He said. Io just looked up at him and nodded. "I'm sorry to be bothering you miss, but are you related to a…umm..." He paused for a moment, rereading the name on the tag. "An Ellipsis Tannin?" Io's eyes open with curiosity. Tannin never mentioned her first name. She wasn't aware that she even had a first name. She just went by 'Tannin'. Io said nothing to the officer and just nodded. "Ah perfect. Here please sign this," He handed her a piece of paper. She signed it without reading what it was. The officer took the paper back and handed her the bag. Before he left he turned to her and said, "My condolences." And with that he was gone. Io stared at the bag that was resting on the table. The last remaining bit of Tannin was here. She grabbed the bag and opened. She carefully started to take things out. She found, a really old and dusty notebook that had pages and bits of paper sticking out. Another large scrapbook that had a few photos sticking out. One of the photos fell out and landed right in front of Io. It was the picture of them from behind. This must have been when they were walking down the street trying to find where the blue lights were coming from. A tear came back into her eye as she put the photo aside. Other items inside included her dart gun with several darts. Small vials of a purple liquid. A cigarette case a lighter and a pen. Io took the lighter out and flicked it a few times, just to watch the flame dance before putting it out. That was it. And for a brief moment as Io picked up the notebook and stared at it, it was almost that she was still alive somehow and that she was with her.

But that was impossible. The dust on the notebook left her fingers dirty. But she didn't mind. She figured that a bit of reading could do her some good. Allow her to put this to rest and maybe she'll move on. Io turned to the first page. Stricken by confusion the first page was filled with strange letters and symbols. On the inside of the cover letter was a message written in English. Now this she could read. It read:

'The following is a diary, a series of confessions and memories provided by myself, Ellipsis Tannin. I hear by write on this page as well as everything in this diary is absolute truth to the best of my knowledge. Though many years have passed since certain incidents I have tried to recall the encounters as best as I can. To whomever shall find this diary, please burn it. If I truly am dead, then i want this to be gone as well. I have lived a long time. I have gone by many names. My true name is Ellipsis Tannin and I am approximately 5000 years old. I have seen the creation of Stonehenge and the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Soviet Union. I have died twice in my time here. First time was in the Umbral Sphere and the second was by the hands of my best friend Allea. I do not know why I am here. But I am. And here is my story...'

Io was more confused than ever before. This couldn't be real. That name stood out more than ever. Allea. Io flipped through the pages. The strange symbols on the dirty old paper changed slightly with every few pages. It wasn't until about three quarters in that everything was written in English. The paper began to change as well in quality and state. It started out old, dusty and yellow and changed to less dusty but still old. The texture changed as well. The words that Io could read were:

'Date: 1009 AD. Place: England. I am writing in this diary right now as it has been so long since I have last recorded anything. Paper has become quite expensive and I must say that continuing to toy in the fields with the sun glaring down on you is most difficult. Apparently word is spreading throughout the village that there is to be a festival very soon. I am looking forward for this as I do miss the games that they have.'

This didn't seem like the Tannin that Io knew. This sounded more like something a history teacher would write about. Io continued to flip through the pages more and more rapidly.

'Date: 1820 AD. Place Vienna, Italy. I have been in Italy for only a few days now and have heard some of the most beautiful music ever made. Oh what joy I have felt. It is as if my old dead heart had started to beat once again. I've heard rumors that Vienna was the city to be in to hear such lovely music and it cost me most of my money to get here but they were right.'

None of this made sense. This all had to be made up. Io put the notebook down and picked up the scrapbook. Turning to first page she found an old black and white photo that was labeled, 'Me and Sarah. 1864'. the picture itself sent shivers down Io's spine. There was a two girls in the photo. One looked completely unfamiliar and the other was a striking resemblance of Tannin. If Io had never seen Tannin with her hair that long she almost would not have recognize her. Yet the photo was a surprisingly very similar. Then again Tannin and Nyssia looked alike too. Io started to flip through the photos and stopped on another page. This one was a group photo with a large group of people labeled, 'Big Jerry's party: 1923.' This time the people in it were dressed very fancy. The mend had suits on and were holding up glasses. The women were in short dresses with feathers in their hair. And right in the center of all of this mess was a woman who bear a striking resemblance to Tannin. Io checked the photos from 1864 to 1923. They all had the same girl in each and every one of them. Sometimes she was alone. Other times she was with other people. Her clothes were different but her face stayed the same all through these pictures. Io stopped for a moment and stared at the wall in front of her. She pondered the possibilities. If this was all true, what could it mean? Could it be possible that Tannin or Ellipsis was still alive? Did she dared to dream? She couldn't help but wonder.

There was a knock on the door. Io perked up. Eyes wide. Heart pounding. Could it be? The door opened. Too much to her disappointment it was just Samantha, Jane and Nyssia.

"Hey, how are you feeling today?" Samantha asked as she walked over to Io. She looked down at the assortment of items. "Whose are these?" Samantha asked. Jane walked over and glanced around at the items. "They're Tannins things. A police officer came in and handed them to me. Apparently he thought I was her next of kin or something." "Oh shiny!" Nyssia said as she reached over and grabbed the dart gun from the pile. "Hey Blondie. You're from the past. Can you make out what any of these things mean?" Io said as she pointed to the first few pages of Ellipsis's notebook. Jane peeked her head over Samantha's shoulder with curiosity. Samantha stared at the page with an odd look. "I'm sorry Io but I don't think I can figure out what this means." Jane reached over and took the notebook from Samantha's hands. "It appears to be a form of Latin. An early version. I can translate if you want." Jane said. Jane paused for a moment and read the inscription on the inside of the notebook. "Interesting." And with that she walked out of the room.

Io picked up the scrapbook and showed Samantha. "You think these pictures are real?" Io showed Samantha the photos and the similarities in all of them. Samantha paused for a moment. She reached in the scrapbook and pulled out one of the photos that was labeled 'Factory destroyed. 1899'. She took the photo and examined it closely. "I was there." She said. The photo fell from her hand. She then stared at the scrapbook. She picked it up and went through. Her eyes widen with fright. Her heart started to race with anticipation. "I need to go." And with that she walked out of the room. Only Io and Nyssia remained. Nyssia was off the in the corner and started to use the dart gun and shooting holes in the walls. Io was now even more afraid of the possibilities. Could Ellipsis still be alive? Another day went by and it started with Jane opening the door. "Io! Wake up! I have figured it out." Io woke with a stir. The light shinned in and hit her eyes as Jane opened the blinds. "Io! I translated the pages. It took me most of the night but I got it." Jane said as she handed her the translated pages. "It's an account of a young girl living under Roman occupation in England. It tells of her fighting in battles and traveling across the country side. She kept notes. The language of course, changes as the date's progress. It went from Early Latin to a form of German to English." Io started blankly at Jane who seemed excited. "So what does that mean? Are these real?"

"Oh my indefinitely they are real. Never have I ever held paper that has been around on this earth from more than 2000 years." She seemed very excited. "Of course you do realize that if the original author is in fact Tannin or Ellipsis or whatever her name is. Then she is defiantly something else. She would be older than any of our grandparents combine." Jane stopped for a moment as the door behind them opened. It was Samantha carrying the scrapbook. "Okay, this is going to freak you guys out. But I believe that this thing is one hundred percent real." She said as she adjusted her glasses. "The photos in this book I have examined them carefully. They are not replicas are fakes. They are all authentic. They have their dates and some even have the serial numbers printed on them. This photo and all of these are all real!" Samantha said out loud as she placed them on the table.

"Of course they're real…I took them myself." Said a familiar voice from behind. Everyone turned around quickly. It was Tannin. She stood there in the doorway. Her hair was cut short and dyed blue again. Her clothes were not torn away. She stood there in silence. She walked forward leaning over at the pile of stuff only to grab a cigarette and a lighter. "Haven't had one of these in a few days." She said as she light up the single cigarette and started to smoke. The rest stood there in silence. "You guys look like you've seen a ghost." Ellipsis said with a slight chuckle. "But…but. You're supposed to be dead." Jane said. "You're not dead." Io whispered to herself. "You were found dead on the spot. You had no pulse. No heartbeat. Your skin was cold." Jane said frantically. Ellipsis looked at her and held out her arm. "Do I have a pulse now Doc?" She said as she took a puff from the cigarette.

Jane hesitated for a moment before reaching for Ellipsis's pulse. Her skin was as cold as ice. Jane searched and search. But she couldn't find a pulse. "Good lord." She said as she backed away. "What are you?" Ellipsis stood in silence. She then proceed to gather her things without saying anything. She stood in the doorway. "Alright. Truth time." She said as she turned around and faced them. "My name is Ellipsis Tannin. I was a daughter of a chieftain in the Tannin Clan a very long time ago. Long story short I died and came back as a vampire. And I have been living on this earth for the past five thousand years. As you may already suspect from reading my notes and looking through my scrapbook." She paused for a moment and let out a heavy sigh. "And now this is the part where you all see me as a monster or a freak and want me to disappear or die. Well don't worry. I'm already gone." And with that Ellipsis turned and left. "Wait!" Io said as she jumped out of bed, tearing the IV out of her arm as she made her way to the door. But outside the door was empty. Not a soul in the hallway. Not a single sound could be heard. Was this the end? No.

Taking the long way around and exiting through the back doors was nothing new to Ellipsis. She had often taken them before when visiting very old friends and she knew the hospital inside and out. But now it would have seem that she must pack her things and continue heading west. The city itself laid in a state of disrepair. There was not much that could be done. How long has she lived in this city? A couple of decades she figured. She had seen a lot of people come and go. Buildings rise and fall. Strange memories crept inside her as she walked down the road. A road that was once dust and dirt. But now it asphalted and smooth. What precise memories she had here. And now off to make new memories elsewhere. She knew she had to return to them. After all they did have her stuff. It's not like she was going to leave any of that stuff behind. She didn't want to lose the memories she already saved in her note books or in her scrapbook. As she reached the outskirts of the city she turned once last time as if to saying goodbye to an old friend. She had many old friends that she had to say goodbye too in the past. And this was no different.

The sun was high in the sky. And the road was baron as ever. But none of this mattered. Ellipsis continued her walk. Then suddenly the wind picked up and a voice came to her. "You know you could have stayed with them." She turned around. No one. She was all alone. "You know you've seen her face before." Again Ellipsis quickly turned around expecting to see someone. No one. The voice came again. "You knew! And you simply walked away." Ellipsis covered her ears with her hands. "I'm not hearing this." She said to herself. "Why not? You know who she looked like and you let her get away. How long has it been? Two? Three thousand years? Then again the last time you saw her she stuck a knife in your back."

"Shut up!" Ellipsis yelled out. "Shut up! Go Away!" She dropped her bag and proceed to pick up a rock and through it. "I know okay! I know!" her screams echoed for a bit but then fell. She dropped to her knees and started to cry. "They could have helped you, you know." "Please stop." She sat up and stared at the ground. A single tear fell and splashed upon the ground. She wiped away her tears, picked up her things and continued to walk.

Suddenly off in the distance a loud roar could be heard. Ellipsis ignored this sound as she thought she was imagining it. The sound grew louder. Ellipsis stopped. There couldn't have been another car on this road. This road is pretty much empty all the time. Yet, she still didn't dare to look around. It was probably another hallucination brought on by another bad trip. The stuff she picked up before she left the city was obviously spliced with something else, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get a quick kick while on the road. The roar grew even louder now. Maybe it really is a car. And maybe that stupid chair over there would turn back into a fox and run off. She turned around to see what was going on. Off in the distance there was a slight shine. It was a car of some kind. But it got bigger and bigger as it got closer. Dear lord that thing was real and heading straight for her. Then she heard a loud horn. Suddenly a flare shot up into the sky. It was a bus. The bus roared up beside her and stop with a halt and the doors opened up.

"Hey! Get in loser! We're going on an adventure!" It was Nyssia. Sitting with her hands wrapped around the wheel. Her cap was on and she wore that same old smile. Ellipsis stopped for a moment and looked around. She tilted her head in confusion. The bus was clean. It wasn't the pile of trash that she rode in before. The barbwire was gone. The silly face was wiped clean from the front. And the windows didn't have any bars on them. The windows. She saw faces inside the windows. The windows opened up to reveal those very faces. It was Io and Samantha and Jane. "You mean…you guys don't care." Ellipsis said.

"Come on Blu. You know we care. We care about you. And heck we've already been through a lot. Why not stick around?" Io said. "But…But I'm a monster. Like really I've killed a lot of people." "Join the club! We got jackets." Nyssia called out. "Look. It doesn't matter what you did in the past, present or future. You're not leaving us and we're not going to leave you." Samantha said. "Indeed. Plus we may need a guide wherever we are going in this contraption." Jane said as she joined in the conversation. "Come on sis! Don't leave your family hanging here." Nyssia said as she revved up the engine. Ellipsis slowly bowed her head down. It was a slow change but the frown that Ellipsis had, suddenly turn into a smile. And with haste she ran into the bus with more eager and anticipation than ever before.

As they drove off the road and into the unknown, Ellipsis reflected on everything that had happened to her. She never felt more excited and afraid at the same time for the future. She wondered what tomorrow will bring. And for a brief moment, she felt as though she could feel her heart beat. She was no longer alone. But for how long she wondered.


End file.
